Chrono Cross: Radical Dreamer
by Harvestboy Goobus
Summary: What happens when Serge has visions of a girl with blonde hair and cerulean eyes? How about when monsters start banding together and destroying cities at a 'new evil's' command? A new adventure for Serge, that's what! R&R please! Completed!
1. Prologue

Author's note: Hello! This is my first Chrono Cross fic. I've worked (and am working) very hard on it. I would really appreciate your reviews, so… R&R! Thanks! 

Disclaimer: Oh no. Not the disclaimer! No! I won't say it! ::A tomato hits me across the head:: Okay! Fine! I don't own Chrono Cross or any of the characters.  I do own Ana though! Oops… I just gave away a future character… Oh well. Oh yeah! I also own this _story_. So hah! Nobody had better copy it!****

Prologue 

There it was. The final note had been played. The song was complete. The Chrono Cross had been used... The Time Devourer was disappearing from time itself. In its place was a small girl. But, although she was small, she was in no way young. She was, in reality, thousands of years old. Three teenagers, a blue-haired boy with a swallow-like weapon, a blond-haired girl with a dagger, and a brown-haired boy with two swords watched in awe. The blond-haired girl, an exact copy of the first girl, stepped forward. "Yer really her, aren't ya? Yer really Schala." Schala looked at the second girl and just smiled. Then Schala began to speak. 

She spoke for what seemed to be a long period of time. All the while, the three teenagers listened. The blue-haired boy and the girl were holding hands. And then it was time. It was time for the dimensions to be restored, and for the teenagers to go back. "Serge! No! Please don't leave me!" The girl cried. Serge, the blue-haired boy, held her compassionately. "I–I have to, Kidd. It has to be done.  You know that..." 

"I–" Kidd was cut off as Serge softly pressed his lips to hers. "Shh... It's okay." He said quietly. "But, I–" Her shoulders sagged as she accepted the truth. He _couldn't_ stay. It was  just the way things worked. "Kidd. It's time." Schala said. Kidd whirled to face her. "You! You just–You just SHUT UP!" She screamed. Serge put a hand on Kidd's shoulder. "Kidd..." Kidd broke down into years worth of held back tears. Serge took her into his arms again. After Kidd calmed down, Serge said his goodbyes to his faithful friend, Glenn. "It's been good knowing you, Glenn. It's not gonna be the same without you and your Einlanzers. Go back and become a great dragoon. Finally get out of your brother's shadow and create a shadow for yourself!" Glenn nodded. "I _will_ do that, Serge. It's been a pleasure to fight along side you, my friend. I hope that, even though we won't remember each other, we'll be able to meet up again." And with that, Glenn disappeared. All who were left were Serge, Kidd, and Schala. Serge looked into Kidd's eyes. "Don't worry, Kidd. Our fate is ours to decide now, remember? If we want to find each other, then we will!" Kidd smiled at that. Even in the darkest of times, Serge was still being optimistic and keeping everybody's hopes up. "I know–" Serge began to disappear. "I'll– I'll find ya, mate. I promise. And Serge... I lo–" And then Serge woke up.


	2. The Revelation

Do I have to? Fine. I don't own Chrono Cross or any of its characters. I own any original  characters that are in here though.

                                                   **Chapter 1: The Revelation**

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Serge walked through the small village of Arni pondering the dream he just had. It was so vivid, so realistic, and so utterly confusing. Serge's thoughts were interrupted as a shrill voice cut through the midmorning silence. "SERGE!" Serge sighed. It was Leena, his best friend and unofficial girlfriend. Not that he didn't like Leena, but it was just he really didn't want to talk to anyone right now. Not until he figured out this dream. Unfortunately, Leena had no idea about this and came over anyway. "So Serge. When do you want to meet today?" Their meets consisted of a small sparring match and then a 'date' afterwards. There was another thing that confused Serge. Up until two years ago, Leena was seemingly destined to be an average housewife. And now, well, she just wasn't. Now she was a _fighter_. She fought with a simple frying pan, but she was, actually, very good at it. Serge wondered what changed her. It was an instantaneous change. Right after that little fainting spell the Serge had on the beach. "Serge! Are you gonna answer me, or are you gonna stare into space all day long?" 

"Oh! Sorry, Leena. Anyway, we could do it now if you want. Just let me go home and get my Sea Swallow." Leena grinned in satisfaction. "Okay then, but don't keep me waiting long." Serge ran to the house him and his mother shared. From there he ran into his bedroom and reached under his bed. After fishing around a little bit he found what he was looking for. He pulled a long, black box out from under his bed and opened it. Inside of it were the two parts of his Sea Swallow. He smiled. He always loved this weapon. He screwed the two parts together and ran outside of the house. "Took you long enough! Weren't you ever taught that it isn't nice to keep a lady waiting?" Leena asked. "Yep. And when I meet one, I'll make sure _never_ to do that." Serge replied with a mock sneer. Leena's eyes widened. "WHAT?! You've just earned yourself a good bashing in the head, Serge!" Serge laughed and Leena joined in a few seconds later. "Come on, let's go to Opassa Beach." Leena said shortly after. Serge nodded in agreement, and they started toward the beach. 

The frying pan and the swallow met in a muffled crash. Even though Leena's frying pan was uncovered, Serge's swallow was covered with a thick cloth to protect Leena from injury just in case Serge got a lucky hit. Unfortunately Serge wasn't having very much luck today. They held their positions for a few seconds longer and then they jumped back, both breathing hard. "I'll beat you this time, Serge!" Leena said in between breaths. They stayed like that for a few more seconds and then charged at each other again. At the last second, Serge leaped into a flip up and over Leena's head. From there he just simply pushed Leena down onto the sand and the covered blade of the swallow to her face. "Not today, Leena. Not today..." Leena growled in response. "You cheated, Serge. You tricked me." Serge helped her up. "All's fair in love and war." Leena blushed at that statement. Serge sighed. Leena had taken it wrong, just like half the other things Serge says. "Come on, we're done for today." Serge said after a few awkward moments.

  


Serge and Leena sat down on the beach. In the far distance, Gaia's Navel could be seen. A cool breeze blew through trees and over the beach, a relief to the two teenagers. A wave crashed onto the beach a little bit further down. Leena sighed. "It's always so peaceful here. It'd be a great place to have a wedding..." _Oh great. Leena's hinting again._ Serge thought. Serge pretended to not catch the hint. "Serge..." Serge didn't say anything. Another wave crashed onto the beach, and he was intrigued by familiarity of this scene. "Serge?" Still no reply. "SERGE!" Leena took out her pan and lightly bashed Serge's skull in with it. "OW! What was that for?!" Leena smiled sweetly. "Because,_ dear_, it _had_ to be done." She batted her eyelashes. Serge mumbled something about knowing where she sleeps and let it go. Another wave crashed onto the beach, and with it was a strange looking amulet. "Serge?" Serge stared at the amulet; there was something so familiar about it. "Serge..." Leena said in a low voice. Serge still stared at the amulet. It was a purple color. "SERGE!" Serge got up, and ignoring Leena's calls, walked over to the piece of jewelry. He picked it up. It felt warm in his hands. Serge fell to his knees as the warmth spread throughout his body. FLASH! "So, mate. What d'ya say we team up for a little while?" A flash of blond. "Now don't you go trying anything just because I'm cute and all." The flash of blond was forming a person now. It was still too blurry to see who it was though. "I'll kick yer arse so hard, you'll kiss the moons!" the picture was now coming into focus. "This is yer day of reckoning, Lynx!" The picture now came into focus. It was a beautiful girl with blond hair and cerulean colored eyes. She was wearing the amulet. _She's the girl from my dream!_ Serge thought. "Serge..." The girl said. "Serge... Wake up, Serge!" _Wake up? I am awake._ "SERGE!" SLAP! Serge awoke to the sound (and the feeling) of being slapped across the face by a very worried Leena. "Serge! You're okay!" Serge groaned. "Wha–What happened?" He asked. "You fainted! You had me so worried!" Serge got up slowly. "Ugh. I feel like the Earth Dragon just sat on my head." Leena giggled at that statement. Serge noticed that the amulet was gone. "Hey! Where's the amulet?" He asked. "Huh? What amulet?" Serge looked at her in question. "You know. The amulet I got up to get before I fainted." Leena looked worried again. "Serge... There was no amulet. You just got up, walked down to the shore, and blacked out." Serge thought about this for a moment. "I think we should head back home, Serge. You look exhausted." Serge nodded in agreement. "Now that you mention it, I could use a nap right about now." The sun glinted off an item a few feet away. It was a dagger. Serge bent down to pick it up. "Serge? What are you doing now?" Serge tuned Leena out and picked up the dagger. It was the same color as the amulet. It felt cold in his hand, unlike the amulet. There was dried blood on it. FLASH! Serge saw himself run forward with the same dagger in his hand. He was running at a girl, the same blond haired girl from before. _Look out!_ Serge tried to call out, but it was too late. The other Serge hit the girl full force and stabbed the girl with the dagger. The girl's eyes widened in pain and surprise. The other Serge slowly, painfully, pulled the knife out of the girl's stomach. She looked at him for a moment and then fell to her knees. A roar was heard. The roar sounded like it came from a big cat. Serge looked down at his hands and gasped. They were covered with huge, black gloves, but that's not what surprised him. His arms were covered with dark brown fur! He then realized that the roar came from him. _What's going on?!_ The other Serge began to speak, but Serge couldn't hear him. There was another sound drowning him out. It was a song. A simple song that seemed to mean so much to Serge. The song grew louder and louder. It was almost unbearable now. It kept on growing louder. Serge tried to cover his ears, but he couldn't move his arms. And then a shrill voice pierced the song, "SERGE!" Serge snapped out of his trance. "What is up with you today?" Leena demanded. Serge noticed that the dagger was still in his hand, only the blood was gone. Leena continued. "First you black out on the beach, and then you claim that you saw an amulet, and _then_ you go off into your own little world after you find a stupid knife!" Serge didn't say anything. He was wondering the same thing. After Leena had a few moments to vent, she finally said, "Come on. Let's just go home. I think you really need to rest." Serge nodded in agreement. "Okay, let's go." We got all of our things and walked home, eager to get away from the place called Opassa...

"Okay. You go home and sleep, Serge. You really need it." Serge watched Leena walk home. _What is going on with me?_ He asked himself. Serge walked into his house and up to his room. He then sat down on his bed and looked at the dagger in his hand. There wasn't a single blood spot on it. He sighed and put the dagger on his dresser. "I must be going insane." He started to take apart his Sea Swallow, but he stopped when he noticed something. The former feather shaped blades had changed. The blades looked more like flames of fire now. He looked at it intensely, trying to see if this would disappear or if it would change back to normal. It didn't. "What's going on here?" He asked no one. _Master..._ There was a voice inside of his head. "What?! What was that? Where are you?!" _Master..._ "WHERE ARE YOU?!" Serge demanded. FLASH! "Master..." Serge was in a place of complete blackness. Standing in front of him was a gigantic beast. He stumbled back in fear. "Master..." The beast said. Serge stumbled back further. The beast simply looked at him. "Maybe it'd be better if you showed him a less frightening form." Another voice this time. A feminine voice. "Hmm... You're right, Doreen." There was a bright flash, and the beast was replaced by to yellow dwarfs. There was another female dwarf standing behind them. "There. Is that better?" Asked the female. Serge's eyes were wide with fear. When he didn't answer, she sighed and said, "Maybe I should explain. My name is Doreen, and these two," She motioned towards the two dwarfs, "are Masa and Mune."

"Greetings, Master." Masa and Mune said simultaneously. "And you are the Chrono Trigger and our Master." Serge snapped out of his trance. "What? What do you mean Chrono Trigger? What do you mean Master?" Doreen shook her head, "She really _did_ erase your memory, didn't she." 

"What?! Who's 'she', and what do you mean 'erase my memory'?" Serge asked. Doreen sighed. "_She_ is Schala Zeal. Princess of the great civilization of Zeal." He motioned for her to continue. "Zeal was a country of great power, the power of magic. The queen of Zeal, Schala's mother, used to be a just ruler and a loving mother, but she was taken by greed. The greed for power. In her greed she discovered something. A presence so powerful, that it could possibly be used to give eternal life. This presence was known as Lavos. It was an alien beast from unknown origins. It lived off of the planet itself. It was a parasite.

  


"But when the queen found it, she paid no attention to why it was there, all she paid attention to was the fact that it had great power. She came up with the theory that it could grant eternal life. So she had her scientists build a machine called the Mammon Machine. This machine was supposed to control Lavos' power. Schala knew the truth though. Lavos was evil, and it _couldn't_ be controlled. So she sought help from five strangers from the future and one from the past. These strangers were known as Crono, Marle, Lucca, Robo, Frog/Glenn, and Ayla. Crono was also the Chrono Trigger of that time. Anyway, the Six and Schala worked together to stop the queen from unleashing such a great evil upon the world. They failed, and the queen in anger bonded Schala to the horrible beast." She paused for a moment to gage Serge's reaction. He gave her none. "Crono also died in this battle, but he was able to be brought back to life by using the time egg. And from there the Six plus one more, a wizard and Schala's brother Janus, traveled to the future and killed Lavos there. You see, Lavos was connected to all of the time lines, so if a person killed it in one place, it would die in all places. 

"Enter parallel universes. By killing Lavos, this set off a chain reaction that led to the creation of parallel universes. And to make things worse, they didn't actually kill it. They defeated it, and killed that form of it, but that wasn't the true Lavos." 

"Okay, you lost me there" Serge said. Doreen sighed. "Maybe it'll be easier if I just did this." She came over and touched Serge's forehead with her hand. He felt a slight shock, but other than that, nothing. She backed up and waited. Serge then heard something. It was a song. It was the same song as before. Just like before, it got louder and louder. It grew so loud, he had to cover my ears. That didn't help, it didn't even muffle it at all! It had grown so loud that he fell to my knees. "Stop! Stop it!" He screamed, but it didn't stop. Doreen's voice pierced the song, "Listen to it, Serge. Let it speak to your mind and your heart." Serge closed his eyes in pain. It felt like his ears would explode. And then, nothing. The song ended. Only to be replaced by an extreme pain. He felt every cut, slash, and bruise that he had gotten on his adventure all at the same time. He screamed in pain. It was unbearable. Scars began appearing on his skin. And then everything stopped. He breathed in quick bursts. The pain was completely gone other than in his mind. He stared at his newfound scars. "What? What happened to me?" He asked Doreen. "It's not over yet, Serge." She replied. Serge eyes widened as this time instead of pain, memories overwhelmed him. Memories of every conversation, fight, and emotion that he had during his adventure that had been erased from time. He was still on his knees for a long time after this ended. Tears were flowing down his face. He was so confused. "I–I forgot... I forgot everything!" He cried. "Serge, it's not your fault. You had no choice." Serge shook his head. "No. I could have remembered, if only I had fought it!" There was a long moment of silence. "Why, Doreen? Why have you chosen to tell me all of this?" He finally asked. "Because. Because it is time for the Chrono Trigger to rise again. There's another evil brewing, Serge... and..." A pause, "And what?" Serge demanded. "And... and it has Kidd..." Serge stopped. "No... It can't..." Doreen nodded slowly. "It _does _have her, and you need to save her." Serge stood up, a determined look on his face. "Okay. Who is this evil, and how am I going to save her?" Doreen looked uneasy. "We don't exactly know _who _he is... He has been doing a good job of hiding from us." Serge's eyes narrowed. "But we have been able to find out _where_ he is." Serge waited. "He... Uh... Seems to be at the Fort Dragonia. He wants _you _to come to _him._" Serge nodded. "Fine. Let's go." Doreen's eyes widened. "No! You can't go yet!" Serge looked annoyed. "First you need help. Glenn. He has the only other holy weapon on this planet other than us. We will need the Einlanzer too." Serge sighed. "Fine, but how am I going to get him to remember?" Masa, Mune, and Doreen grinned, "Leave that to us." Doreen said. "Fine. I have one more question, will the others be able to remember also? I mean like Leena and everybody." Doreen shook her head. "Only the people who were either dead in one world or just not there will be able to remember. Anybody who had both counterparts will not be able to remember." Serge sighed. "Fine. Let's just go." Doreen grinned. "I thought you'd say that."

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Please R&R! I love writing this story and I want encouragement!

Thanks!


	3. Glenn

I—I OWN CHRONO CROSS AND ALL OF ITS CHARACTERS! I OWN SQUARESOFT! ::Ducks punches and veggies:: Okay! I don't own those things…

**Chapter 2: Glenn**

Serge woke up minutes later. His Sea Swallow was now the Mastermune. He smiled at that. "Hello my friend." He started getting ready for his trip.

Minutes later he was in his kitchen, writing his mother a note. 

_Mom,_

_By the time you read this, I'll be long gone. I can't hope for you to understand, but I have to do what I have to do. I don't know when or if I'll be coming back. I hope to be able to explain everything to you in the future, but for now it would be safer just to leave you in the dark. Tell Leena that I said good-bye_

_Don't worry about me, I'll be all right._

_Love,_

_Serge_

Serge put the pen down and smiled sadly at the paper. He heard a noise above him. His mother was waking up. "Time to go." He said quietly. He strapped the Mastermune to its place on his back, and tucked the dagger into his boot. He took one last look around his house and left the door.

His first destination was the dock. From there he could get his boat and sail to Termina. He smiled at his boat. He had worked very hard for it, and now it was going to pay off. He put his things onto the boat and opened the sail. "Serge! Where are you going?" He heard somebody say. "He turned to look at Leena walking swiftly toward him. "I'm going fishing, Leena! I'll be back soon!" Leena glared at him. "You're supposed to be resting!" Serge rolled his eyes. "What better way to relax than fishing? Plus, you're always telling me that I sleep too much anyway." Leena was fuming. "Serge, you get back here, NOW!" Serge ignored her and started out to sea. "SERGE!" Serge cursed. _She's gonna wake the entire village!_ "SERGE! I MEAN IT!" Serge growled. "Leena! NO! Now would you just SHUT UP before you wake the entire village!" Leena's mouth dropped. Serge had hurt her, and he knew it. "Leena... Good-bye." A strong gust of wind picked up and he sailed out of earshot.

  


Glenn stood proudly in front of the entire Dragoon army in full dress uniform. He had been promoted. He was now the leader of the four Divas. After Dario had married Riddle, he had resigned his commission to have a family with her. This left the position for leader of the Divas open. Glenn, being the best leader and fighter other than Dario and General Viper himself in the entire army, got the job. The other three Divas, Karsh, Marcy, and Zoah, stood by him in similar uniforms. They were all jealous of him, but they knew he deserved it. "And now, I give you Sir Glenn, Leader of the Four Divas!" Applause broke out among the crowd, and Glenn swelled with pride. He was finally out of his brother's shadow. Way out of it, in fact. The Einlanzer, a holy sword designed specifically for the leader of the Divas, was handed to him by General Viper. He gave his old sword to Viper and put the Einlanzer into its sheath. He then saluted Viper. "Speech... Speech... Speech! Speech!" Karsh, Glenn's second in command, was working the crowd now. "Speech! Speech! SPEECH! SPEECH!" Now the entire army was saying it. The General chuckled, 'looks like you're going to have to give a speech, Glenn." Glenn nodded and stepped up to the microphone. "I thank you all for coming today, and I promise you that I will make it up to you by protecting you from danger." The crowd cheered. "I will work my very hardest to protect El Nido from danger and peril." Karsh grabbed the microphone from him. "Those Porre jerks won't stand a chance if they try to invade us again." The crowd cheered and laughed. Glenn grabbed the microphone back from Karsh. "Ahem... Yes, you _could_ say that, but I hope it won't come to that. Anyway. I would like to thank my brother for teaching me everything I know about leadership and fighting. I would also like to thank General Viper for being a father to me for all of these years." 

A shadow passed overhead. The crowd ignored it thinking that it was just a cloud. Karsh didn't. "What in the name of–." He was cut off as a pillar of flame engulfed the large Viper Manor behind them. Glenn dropped the microphone and got out his sword. The civilians in the crowd were running in fear and the soldiers were drawing their various weapons also. A large roar was heard from the large dragon above them. Glenn and the Divas dove out of the way as the dragon landed on the stage they were on. General Viper wasn't quick enough though. When the dragon landed, it grabbed Viper in one of its claws and threw him into the rows of chairs in front of the stage. "DADDY!" Riddle screamed. Some of the soldiers went to their fallen general, but most of them stayed put. Dario let Riddle go to her father, and then promptly grabbed Glenn's old sword from its position ground, where it fell after the dragon landed. "Come on, Glenn. Let's take care of this beast!" Dario said to Glenn. Glenn nodded, and then turned to the army, "CHARGE!" He yelled. Thousands of men attacked the dragon at once. The dragon took out a quarter of them in one fiery breath. Glenn was stunned. He had never seen a creature so powerful! "SPREAD OUT! DON'T GIVE IT AN EASY TARGET!" And once again they charged. The dragon didn't breathe fire this time. It started to fight with it claws. It was still winning the battle, they still had thousands of men, but they were losing them by the dozens. "FALL BACK AND SPREAD OUT!" Glenn called. The soldiers gladly complied. The dragon didn't follow, it was like it was waiting for something.

  


Glenn met with the other three Divas and Dario to plan an attack. "I don't understand. I've never seen anything like it. It's like it's invincible! Whatever hits we do land doesn't harm it anyway!" Karsh stated. "There has to be a way to defeat it. Nothing is truly invincible." Dario said. While the rest of the Divas traded and debated actions to take, Glenn was wondering about something else. _Where_ did it come from? Why did it attack unprovoked, and why wasn't it attacking now? "Dario! Help! It's my father!" Riddle's voice broke Glenn's thoughts. The Divas ran over to their fallen leader. Viper was in terrible shape. One of his legs was broken, it was obvious that most of his ribs were shattered, and there was blood everywhere. "I–I think he's–" Riddle broke down into sobs. "Dario..." He said quietly. "When I'm–" He broke into a fit of coughs. "Dario... When I'm gone... I want you to lead El Nido." Dario's eyes widened. "What? You're gonna be alright, Viper! Everything's gonna be fine!" Viper shook his head. "No! Daddy! You will be fine!" Riddle pleaded. "No..." He coughed, "I am dying, Riddle. I was just too old for this kind of thing, and it has finally caught up to me. I _will_ die soon. That's why I want Dario to have my empire. He's a much wiser and better leader than I." Dario shook his head. "No! I could never amount to what you are, Viper!" Viper smiled weakly. "You see. Humility, something I never learned. That's why you'll be better than I was, Dario. You are so much more than you give yourself credit for, and I trust that the country will be fine in your hands." He started coughing up blood. "Dario... take care of–of Riddle... Dario..." Viper's hand fell limp, and the great leader of El Nido died.

When Serge came into view of Termina, he was expecting a lot of things, but what he saw wasn't one of them. He saw people running and screaming. He saw Viper Manor in flames, and most of all he saw the Dragon. It was gigantic. It looked almost like the black dragon that he had faced on his adventure, only it was much larger and it was the color of blood. He docked his boat and started toward Viper Manor, but something stopped him. **_The graveyard..._** He heard Doreen say in his mind. He hesitated only for a moment and started running to the graveyard. As he ran down the steps, he saw something shining in the sunlight. It was a sword. It was sitting on the shoreline. Serge ran over and picked it up. It was the Einlanzer! Serge smiled. _So, that's why I had to come here._ He started to run to Viper Manor.

The Divas were still mourning Viper, when the Serge ran up to them. Karsh went to meet him. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" He asked. "I need to see Glenn, _now_." Serge replied calmly. "Yes? Why do you need to see me?" Glenn asked after walking over also. "Glenn. You don't know me. At least... Not anymore, but I believe this belongs to you." He held up the Einlanzer. Glenn stared at the holy sword. "How is that–" He got out his own Einlanzer. "That must be a fake!" Serge shook his head. "It's not a fake. It's just a sword from another dimension." Glenn stared at him in disbelief. "What? What do you mean 'another dimension'?" Serge sighed. "I'll explain later, just take the sword." Glenn took it. "Now... We have a dragon to kill, and a general to avenge" Serge started walking to the dragon. The dragon caught his gaze and growled. Finally, the real battle had begun. Serge gave a battle cry and charged the dragon.

  


Glenn couldn't believe what he was seeing. This unknown boy just came out of no where! From the clothes he was wearing, Glenn guessed that he came from South El Nido. Arni maybe. But that's not what surprised him. Somehow he ended up with an exact copy of the Einlanzer! Glenn knew it wasn't a fake, because he could feel the power radiating off of it, but he wished he knew _how_ the boy got it. Glenn looked back up at the boy. The boy had just yelled a war cry, and he was now attacking the dragon. _Why is he so familiar?_

Serge flew through the air and crashed into some chairs, not unlike General Viper, but to everyone's surprise, he was back up in seconds. He glared at the dragon. The dragon just snorted. Serge started toward the dragon again, but stopped when he saw something. The dragon was breathing in deeply and it face was turning red. Serge cursed. He had seen the summon, _Salamander,_ enough times to know what that meant. He dove out of the way just as a pillar of flame blew past him. The fire hit a small group of soldiers. They were vaporized on contact. "No... They had no chance!" He looked at the dragon. It had a look of triumph in its eyes. "They had no chance!" Serge let loose another war cry, but instead of running at the beast, he was lifted into the air by some unseen force.

Glenn didn't understand what was happening. The boy was flying! He was in the air! The boy seemed to have a white 'aura' around him. A single word came into existence in Glenn's head, _Luminaire_. 

There was a dome of light extending all around Serge. As the dome stopped extending, there was silence all around. Then the first rumble came. Far underneath Serge's feet, the first ring of explosions let loose. CRASH! Chairs went flying as the concrete underneath them exploded upward. Soldiers were running as chairs and concrete went flying. A piece of concrete crashed onto the dragon's head. It was barely fazed. The concrete underneath the dragon exploded upward as holy flames left up at the dragon. The dragon roared in pain as pieces of concrete got lodged into the dragon's sensitive, and unprotected underbelly. But it wasn't over yet. In one last huge explosion, the entire ring exploded once more all at the same time. The dragon crashed against a building in Termina. It didn't move again. Serge began to descend to the crater that was underneath him.

Nobody spoke for a long time after the boy climbed out of the crater. They were too surprised. They boy had taken on that dragon, alone, and beaten it! It wasn't possible! When somebody _did_ speak it wasn't something they were expecting. Glenn was holding his head in pain as he relived every pain that he felt on his adventures with Serge. Serge was momentarily forgotten as this happened. Serge smiled, Glenn was remembering. Serge knelt down beside Glenn and said, "It's okay, Glenn. It'll all be over soon." Glenn stopped screaming as the pain ended. But he started up again as visions and memories flooded his mind. He was breathing hard when it all ended. There was silence except for Glenn's breathing, until finally he broke the silence. "Serge..."

  


Glenn opened his eyes to see two deep blue eyes staring back into his. Serge smiled, "It's about time! I was getting lonely!" Glenn smiled also. "Good to see you too, my friend." Serge helped Glenn up. "Good to see you too, Glenn." Serge looked around at Termina. The chaos had finally ended, and people were gathering. Some people noticed the now dead General Viper, but most people were looking at the large crater and the dragon. He looked back at the Manor, the fire was dying down, but it was in shambles. _Again._ Serge thought. He looked back at the group of people. Riddle was still crying over her father. Dario was trying to comfort her. Marcy, one of the Divas, was crying too. Karsh was comforting her. _Hmm... Never thought I'd see that._ "Serge?" Serge snapped out of his trance. "What?" Glenn looked annoyed. "Well you sure haven't changed at all. Still enjoying your own little world, when there are serious things happening in the _real_ world." Serge and Glenn chuckled at that. "Anyway. I asked, 'Why do you think all of this happened?' I mean, it attacked unprovoked." Serge sighed. "Glenn, there is a new evil in this world, and it's got Ki–" Serge stopped there. He couldn't finish the name. Glenn understood. "Kidd. It has Kidd." Serge nodded. "We–We have to stop him. I think he sent the dragon." There was a new commotion now. _Now what?_ Serge looked out to Termina and gasped. Thousands of beasts and monsters were attacking Termina. There was the standard Dingo to strange dragon creatures that Serge had never seen before. Glenn looked at each other, and both of them got up at the same time. "Let's–" Serge was cut off by a large roar. His eyes widened. The dragon was still alive! Serge cursed. "Glenn, you and me, we'll take the dragon! The rest of you." He looked at the rest of the Divas, "You're gonna take the monsters." He turned back to Glenn, "Let's go." Glenn nodded. "Just like old times, eh Serge?" Serge smiled and nodded.

As Glenn and Serge ran to the dragon, Dario was giving orders to the army. "Protect the city! Destroy all monsters! Don't let ANY of them live." He said in anger. Riddle came up beside him. "Dario, will they be all right?" She asked. "I–I don't know. But that man... I've never seen anyone like him. He's so powerful. I think together they can kill the dragon, though." Riddle nodded. "He seems so familiar somehow." Dario nodded in agreement. "Yes. He is familiar, but I just can't place him."

  


FWOOSH! A pillar of flame blew past Serge as he jumped out of the way, just in time. Glenn had done the same thing, only in the other direction. When the fire was gone, Serge noticed their position. He looked at Glenn and smiled. Glenn nodded in recognition, he knew what to do. "Dash and Slash!" "Dash and Gash" They both said at the same time, calling up their age-old techniques. They both charged at the dragon with amazing speed. Glenn hit the dragon first, he hit the wrist of one of the dragon's arms. He succeeded in chipping off many scales. It wasn't much, but it was enough. When Serge hit the dragon, he hit the dragon in the same spot. His Mastermune cut straight through the now unprotected skin. The dragon's hand got cleanly cut off. It roared in pain and fury. "Again!" Serge yelled. Glenn nodded. He hit the dragon's other wrist this time. Serge was right behind him, but the dragon had smartened up some. It swatted Serge away before he cut hit it. Serge landed deep inside the crater he had created earlier. "Serge!" Glenn yelled, as the dragon jumped in. Serge caught a glimpse of the dragon's face. It was bright red. Serge looked for some cover, but there was none. The dragon inhaled once more for good measure. Serge's eyes were wide. "No! Serge! Look out!" Serge watch as the dragon reared back. It opened its mouth, and its head was suddenly encased in ice! Serge looked up and saw a shape outlined in the sunlight. He could just barely tell it was a woman. He had no time pondering this fact, because the dragon was beginning to break free. Serge took this time scramble up the crater wall.

When Serge got up, he noticed the woman was gone. "ROOOOAAAAAR!" He looked down and saw that the dragon had gotten free. He smiled.  It was time to end this. A white aura surrounded him as once again he was lifted into the air. An image of Masa and Mune appeared behind him. He reached the peak of his ascent and looked down at the dragon. It looked up at him. Serge drew his arm that was holding the Mastermune back, and then threw the Mastermune down to the dragon. It landed at the dragon's feet. The dragon looked down at the weapon by its feet. It was puzzled, why was this weapon thrown at it? It didn't even look up as Masa and Mune mirrored Serge's move and threw the large bolt of energy down at the dragon. There was a huge explosion when the bolt of energy hit. It was so bright that everybody had to look away. When the light and dirt cleared, the dragon was gone. The Mastermune dislodged itself from the ground and floated up to Serge's awaiting hands as he floated down to the ground. When gravity had gotten a hold of him again, he fell to one knee. That attack had taken a lot out of him. Glenn came running over. "Why didn't you do that in the first place?! It could've saved us a lot of trouble!" Serge breathed deeply, and ignored Glenn's question, instead he asked, "Who was that girl? I've never seen an element like that!" Glenn looked around. "I–I don't know. She ran off after saving you." Serge nodded, and paused for a moment, "I could've made it out alone, ya know." Glenn laughed. "Sure you could, Serge. Sure you could."

Serge looked out at Termina and sighed. The city had been destroyed. The monsters had been finished off, but not before they finished their job. "Yeah. They destroyed the city." Glenn said solemnly. Serge nodded, "We have to stop whoever this person is. We _have _to."


	4. The Thief

I don't own Chrono Cross or any of its characters and places. I _do_ own Ana though. So, There!****

**Chapter 3: The Thief**

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Serge and Glenn walked through the rubble of Termina while they talked about what has been happening to them in the past two years. "Yeah, I had just gotten promoted to Leader of the Divas, before that dragon came." Serge smiled at that. "So, you finally got out of your brother's shadow, huh?" Glenn smiled and nodded. "So, Serge? How 'bout you? Did you ever marry that Leena girl?" Serge stopped smiling. "I–No. I didn't. I don't know why, but . . .  I just didn't. Not that she didn't hint at it every time she got." Serge said jokingly. Glenn chuckled and then got serious, "I think I know why." Serge looked at him. "Your heart still belongs to Kidd. Even though you didn't remember her, you still loved her, and Leena just couldn't compete with that." Serge turned that over in his head. "Yeah. Maybe that's it." Glenn patted him on the back. "We'll get her back, Serge. I promise." Serge smiled. "Come on. I finally bought myself a boat, so we won't have to walk." As they were walking, Glenn noticed he was still in his dress uniform. "Aw man. All my clothes were in Viper Manor! I can't fight a powerful evil in this!" Serge started cracking up. Soon Glenn joined in his laughter. "Well. I guess we'd better get you some clothes before setting off. Plus, you need to tell somebody where you are going first." Glenn nodded, and they started back towards the manor.

"Glenn! No! You can't just leave! Especially not now! The city is in shambles! We need you here!" Glenn and Dario were in a heated argument. "I don't care, Dario! My friends need me! I _have_ to help them!" 

"Your _people_ need you! What's more important, Glenn?" Glenn sighed, "Dario, if I don't help Serge, the entire _world_ could be at stake! Serge needs my help! If not, then there may not be a 'my _people_' anymore!" Dario threw up his hands, and then pointed an accusing finger at Serge, "You! You're filling my brother's head with nonsense!" Serge looked bewildered. Riddle stepped in to rescue him, "Dear. He just saved us all! Don't you think he might actually be telling the truth?" Dario's shoulders sagged. "I–I just don't know." _Doreen! Is there anyway to get him to remember?_ Serge asked via a mental link. **_Yes. Leave it up to us._** The Mastermune started to glow. Everybody stopped talking, as this happened. FLASH! Riddle screamed before Dario did. She was holding her head. The same thing started to happen with Dario. Within seconds they stopped screaming, only to be hit by memories. They didn't get up for a long time. "I–I remember! I remember everything!" Dario said. Riddle nodded, "So do I, but I don't understand. Why did we forget in the first place?" Serge and Glenn looked at each other, and then they started to explain.

"I see. So Kidd's in trouble?" Dario asked. Serge nodded. "Yeah. She's in trouble, and Glenn and I have to save her." Dario nodded. "Maybe we could send the army after this 'evil'. It'd speed up the process." Serge shook his head, "No. You saw what that dragon could do. That dragon was just a minion! Plus, you need all the soldiers you can get. Just in case you're attacked again." Dario nodded, "But how are _you_ gonna defeat it?" Serge thought about this, "I–I don't know yet. But I wouldn't worry about it too much. The only reason that dragon put up so much fight today was because I haven't been in a real fight like that in two years." There was a pause, "Are you saying that you're _stronger_ than that?!" Dario asked. "Dario, Serge here could kick _ten_ dragons' butts in his sleep. Of course he's stronger than that!" Glenn stated. Serge didn't deny it. Dario didn't look so sure. "I find that doubtful." Serge smiled. "Hey! I beat you didn't I?" Dario laughed, "That you did, Serge. That you did." 

  


Serge and Glenn were, once again, walking toward the docks. Glenn was dressed in more informal attire. A t-shirt and shorts. The shirt was a _tropical_ T-shirt. "Hey, we'll be going through Mt. Pyre! You know how hot it is there! Plus, I'm bringing my armor!" And he _was_ bringing his armor. He had it slung over his shoulder. Serge smiled. "You never cease to surprise me, Glenn." There was silence. "So, Glenn. Who do think that woman was earlier?" Glenn looked thoughtful. "I don't know. I didn't get a good look at her." There was a noise behind them. Before they could turn around, there was an arrow poking Serge in the back. Glenn spun around. "You!" Serge looked over his shoulder, and found himself staring into to deep green eyes. The deep green eyes of the woman who saved him earlier. The arrow was still poking him. "Keep on moving. Don't even _think_ about trying anything." They moved into an alleyway between two barely standing buildings. "Okay, you know the drill. If you have any valuables, hand them over." Serge smirked. "I suggest you take that arrow somewhere else, that is, if you want to live." The woman laughed, "You're the one with the arrow in your back. Hmm... This weapon here looks nice. It'd get me plenty of Gold. I think I'll _take_ it." She said, indicating the Mastermune. "Uh... I wouldn't do that." Glenn said. "You just shut up, pretty boy." Ana shot back. Serge chuckled to himself, she was going to be in for a rude awakening. She touched the swallow. FLASH! She flew back and hit a wall. Serge turned around slowly. The woman groaned. "I warned you." Glenn stated. Serge grabbed the Mastermune and pointed it at her neck. "Now, who are you?"

"My name is Ana Cage. As you already know, I am a thief." Ana Cage had long, blond hair with red streaks and a figure most people would die for. She wore a tight black T-shirt and black sweat pants. She reminded Serge of Kidd. "Where you at the battle with that dragon earlier?" Glenn asked. She didn't answer. Serge gave her a threatening look. She hung her head, "I–Yes. Yes, I was there." Serge and Glenn smiled. _Now_ they were getting somewhere. "Let's just cut to the chase," Serge said, "I was saved by a woman during that battle." Ana looked up. "_You_ were the person fighting that thing?" Serge nodded, "Anyway, as I said. A woman saved me. This woman used some kind of strange element I had never seen before. Glenn here, says that you are that woman. Now, I ask you, are you that woman?" She didn't reply for many moments. "It wasn't an element." 

"Excuse me?" Serge asked. "I said. It _wasn't_ an element. It was magic. _Real_ magic. Magic in its purest form." Glenn laughed, "Do you think we are dumb? Nobody's used magic for four hundred years! Where did _you_ learn magic?" She looked puzzled, "My father taught me. And plus, what you said about magic not being used for hundreds of years is wrong." She stated as-a-matter-of-factly. "What? What are you talking about?" Serge asked. Ana looked at him. "_You_ used magic today. I believe it's called _Luminaire_." Serge laughed. "That isn't magic!" 

  


"Oh? Then, what is it?" Serge thought about it. "I–I don't know. I've never really thought about it. I always thought it was just a regular technique." She smiled. "No, you're wrong. It's a type of magic. Light magic, I think. In fact, it's the most powerful light magic known yet." Serge thought about it. "How did you learn it?" Ana asked. "I–I'm not sure. I think I learned it in a dream. In this dream, there was a man with red, spiky hair." Ana's eyes widened. "Crono." She said quietly. "What?" Serge asked. That name sounded familiar. "Crono! King Crono of Guardia! You were contacted by Crono!" Serge still couldn't place the name. "But that's... Impossible... He's been dead for thirteen years... Unless..." She looked at Serge again, "Does the phrase, 'Chrono Trigger', mean anything to you?" Serge's eyes widened. Did it _ever_ mean something to him! "I–I have been called the Chrono Trigger." He said after a few seconds. Ana's eyes widened, "So that's how." Serge looked at her, "What do you mean?" She hesitated. Glenn's swords rang as they were pulled out of his sheaths. Ana chuckled, "You wouldn't kill me. It's not the _noble_ way." Glenn swung the sword at her, and stopped inches away from her neck. "Maybe I'm not as _noble_ as you think." Ana looked at the Einlanzer to Glenn and, finally, Serge. Their eyes met. Serge put a hand up to signal Glenn to stop. Glenn complied. "Now, _you_ are going to tell us _everything_ we need to know. If not, Glenn here is going to turn you into the authorities." Ana weighed her options and sighed, "What I meant was that it has been said that it might be possible for Chrono Triggers to pass knowledge onto the next Chrono Trigger." Serge nodded thoughtfully, "So... How do you know so much about Chrono Triggers?" He asked. "I–I mean, my father told me." Serge arched an eyebrow. "Who was your father, and how did he know about the Triggers?" Ana looked indignant, "He was a very wise man, that's _all_ you need to know." Serge sighed, "Fine. Glenn, let her up." Glenn nodded and sheathed his swords. He held out a hand for her to help her up. She swatted his hand away and got up herself. Serge retrieved her bow and arrows for her. He noted that some arrows had different colored tips. He handed the items to her. "Thank you." She said curtly. She began walking off. There were some yelling a little farther away. Ana took off toward it. Glenn and Serge looked at each other, both thinking the same thing. A distant roar confirmed their suspicions.

What was left of the town was, once again, in chaos. Another horde of beasts was attacking. It was smaller than last time and there were no big dragons, but Serge and Glenn felt the need to help out anyway. Ana was already there. She and her bow actually proved to be formidable allies. "Don't these ever stop?" Serge asked Glenn in between monsters. Glenn just shrugged and decapitated a nearby Taurus. Serge looked at what was happening around him. The soldiers weren't the only people fighting now, the townspeople now were fighting along side them with pretty much anything they could find. A woman not too far away from him was using a frying pan. Serge instantly felt a pang of guilt. He really shouldn't have left Leena on such harsh words. "Serge! Look out!" Glenn's words cut through his thought. He spun around to see a large werewolf-like creature charging at him. He had no time to react.  It was too close! The creature swung a meaty paw at his neck. The huge claws shone in the sunlight. Serge's eyes widened, he thought that this was the end! Right before the paw connected with Serge's neck, an arrow was shot into it. The werewolf roared in pain. It momentarily forgot Serge, and that was all he needed. He cleaved the creature in half. He looked up to see Ana on the rooftop of a still standing building. He gave her a 'thumbs up'. She smiled at him. The battling went on for, what seemed to be, hours. After a little while, Ana grabbed a sword off of a dead soldier's body and started fighting with that. "Is there anything she _can't _do?" Glenn asked. Serge just chuckled. Glenn and Serge looked at each other and nodded. They jumped apart and ran forward, completing the X-Strike maneuver. The werewolf never even had a chance.

  


The beasts were finally beginning to dwindle. "Glenn, let's leave now! The soldiers can take care of the rest." Glenn nodded. FWOOSH! Lisa's Element Shop burst into flames. Serge turned around slowly. His deep blue eyes met with the blood red eyes of an identical dragon as the one earlier. Glenn stepped up next to him. "Or not." He said. People went running. Serge had already begun to float upward. He was going to make this battle a short one. The image of Masa and Mune appeared behind him. He brought his arm back and threw his swallow down. Masa and Mune mirrored it. The explosion was just as enormous as before. When the smoke and dirt cleared, the dragon was nowhere to be seen. Serge smiled. _That was easy. _He thought. He looked down, Glenn was yelling something up at him. Serge caught the word 'dragon'. There was a disturbance in the air above him. He looked up just in time to see the dragon's 'hand' flying down to meet him. He had just enough time to curse before they connected.

Serge flew downward at bone breaking speed. He landed in the still burning remains of Lisa's shop. The last remaining wall fell on top of him. Ana covering her mouth with her hand. _There's no way he could live through that! Chrono Trigger or not!_ She ran to the shop. She vaguely noticed the Mastermune floating through the air toward the rubble also. _Weird._ She thought. When the swallow reached the fallen shop, it just hovered over where Serge fell. Ana reached the shop seconds later. She began digging through the fallen bricks and stones. There was a disturbance in the rubble a couple feet away from her. A hand shot up from it. Ana watched in amazement as Serge pulled himself out of the rubble. He looked at her and smiled. He had a few scratches, but other than that he looked fine. "I–How?" She stammered. Serge just smiled and held up a few used 'Cure' and 'Heal' elements. Ana rolled her eyes. Serge grabbed the Mastermune and looked up at the dragon. His eyes narrowed. Ana saw a green element in his hand.

Serge started to concentrate on the element in his hand, Aeroblaster. He pointed his hand at the dragon, palms up. The green shockwaves immediately began flowing out of his hand. The sound was immense! Ana had never seen anyone use an element so powerfully! Somehow he was even able to keep the shockwaves concentrated, so they didn't spread out. The shockwaves hit one of the dragon's wings. The bones in it shattered. The dragon screamed in pain and spiraled to the ground. Serge started to run to its position at unbelievable speed. _Yep. He's a Chrono Trigger all right._ Ana thought with a smile.

  


When Ana arrived, the dragon was already dead. Serge and Glenn were talking excitedly. "I can't believe you survived that blow! And you end up with barely any proof of the fall too!" Serge just shrugged. Ana smiled. "He used some healing elements. That's how he made it out with no scratches." Glenn glared at Serge. Serge just scratched his head sheepishly. "But. I can't understand how he _survived_ to use the elements. A wall fell on him and everything. No normal human being could survive that!" Serge grinned. "That was nothing. I've seen Serge survive even bigger things than that! He has gone through quite a few 'Free Fall' elements in the past. Those lift you up even higher and drop you faster than that. But he never made it out _scratch less_." Serge just grinned. Ana just rolled her eyes. "Well. Come on, Glenn. We have to go. Now." Glenn nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you're right. We gotta save the world... _Again_! Doesn't evil ever rest?!" Serge had a solemn look on his face. "No. I don't think it ever _will_ rest." This conversation intrigued Ana. "What do you mean save the world?" Serge looked to tell her anything, but Glenn went right ahead and explained. "Masa and Mune told him about a new evil in the world. We have the job of stopping it." He said with a grin. Serge glared at him. Ana gave a short intake of breath. She _knew_ who Masa and Mune was. Not that she was going to tell Serge and Glenn. Not yet anyway. "What do you mean, Masa and Mune?" He pointed at the swallow that Serge was holding. Ana's eyes widened. "Masamune." she said barely above a whisper. Serge still heard it, "How do _you_ know about the Masamune?" Ana hesitated. Did she really want to tell them _that_? Glenn answered for her, "I bet I know! Her _father_ told her!" Serge looked at her. Ana nodded slowly. "How about you tell us exactly _who _your father is now?" Glenn demanded. "I told you, he was a wise man. And... He knew the former Chrono Trigger, Crono, very well." Serge's eyes widened, "That's where I heard Crono before!" Ana looked at Serge sharply. "Now that I've told you that, how 'bout you tell me about this 'saving the world' business?"

They told her nearly everything, but at the request of Serge, they didn't tell her about Kidd. They also left out a lot of things of their former adventure. Things like Lynx and Serge being changed into Lynx. They left Kidd out of that also. "So, now you see why we said that we have to save the world again." Glenn finished. Ana nodded. "Okay. We had better get going! We don't have forever, ya know." She said quickly. Serge looked at her sharply. "What do you mean '_we_'?" He hissed. Ana rolled her eyes, "I mean just what I said. _We_ are going to do this together. I'm going with you." Glenn shook his head, "Oh no. You aren't going with us. It'd be too dangerous." Serge looked thoughtful. "I _am_ going with you! You guys could use a mage! I know both Ice _and_ Lightning magic!" Glenn rolled his eyes, "I still don't believe you about the magic thing. And the answer's still–" Serge cut him off, "Would you be able to leave now?" Glenn looked at him in surprise. "Serge! We can't just pick up random people! We don't know her! She's a _thief_!" Serge's eyes widened in fury. He grabbed Glenn by his collar and lifted him into the air. "What did you say?" He hissed. Glenn's face fell as he realized what he had said. "I–No. I'm sorry, Serge. I didn't mean it like that." Serge put Glenn back down and turned away. Ana tried to understand what had just happened, but she came up with no ideas. She was about to ask, but a look from Glenn told her to let it go. There was a long silence. "You–" Serge choked. It sounded like he was in real distress about something. "You never answered my question. Are you able to leave now?" Ana smiled. "Yes, I can leave now." Glenn didn't protest.


	5. The Storm

PLEASE don't make me do this… I don't wanna… Okay, fine. I don't own Chrono Cross or any of its characters. I _do _own Ana, though.

**Chapter 4: The Storm**

  


The wind was strong and they were making good time on the small fishing boat. They were only about a half an hour from Arni, where they would gather some supplies and then head to Mt. Pyre. Ana sat near the back of the boat. Serge and Glenn were back at the front. For a while, things were tense between them. Ana overheard the word 'kid' come up many times, but that was about it. Now, though, the tenseness was gone, and they were back to normal. "Whoa!" SPLASH! Glenn fell overboard after Serge pushed him. Serge was laughing so hard that Ana thought that he might fall overboard, himself. Glenn's head popped up out of the water. He smiled an evil smile. He grabbed the side of the boat and pulled. Hard. Serge, who was standing up at the time, fell overboard. Ana was the one laughing this time. Serge and Glenn looked at each other. They grabbed Ana's arms. "No!" They smiled and nodded, and then proceeded to pull her off the boat. When her head popped up out of the water, she attacked the nearest person to her. It was Glenn. They got into a major water fight.  It lasted for a few minutes. Serge had taken down the sail and was now on the boat cheering them on. "Watch out, Glenn! Behind you! Oops. Too late!" Ana now had Glenn underwater and was holding him there. When he started thrashing wildly, she let him up. "Guys." Serge said quietly. Glenn and Ana looked up at Serge. His face was pale. He was looking at the distant sky. Glenn and Ana looked in the direction he was looking in. What they saw caused their faces to pale also. They were looking directly into a large tropical storm. A large tropical storm that hadn't been there five minutes ago. The wind was already picking up. Glenn and Ana scrambled onto the boat. "Where'd that come from?" Glenn asked. "You saw what this 'evil' can do. He commands _monsters_. I think he did this too. He's trying to stop us." Ana's mouth was open, but no sound came out. Finally she mustered, "What in Gaia are we going up against?" Serge shook his head, "I don't know. I just don't know."

SPLASH! Another wave hit the small boat. "There it is! There's Arni!" Serge yelled barely over the howling wind. He was pointing at a small village in the distance. SPLASH! The boat nearly tipped over. Ana screamed and Glenn moved over to her to stop her from panicking. Serge was fighting the sail. "We'll never make it at this rate! We need to take down the sail! The wind's blowing us everywhere!" Glenn got up to help Serge with the sail. SPLASH! The sky was dark now, there were black clouds as far as the eye could see. Lightning flashed and for a moment everything was visible. They all wished they didn't see what they saw. There was a giant wave coming. It was enormous! They started up the incline. "HOLD ON!" Serge yelled. They were nearly vertical now. Ana was doing all she could to hold on, but she was slipping. They barely made it over the top of the wave, and it wasn't over yet! Because now they were airborne! The wind whipped around them as they fell. SPLASH! The boat hit the water! CRACK! The mast for the sail broke in half and fell overboard. "No!" Serge yelled. "Serge! She's gonna fall apart if we don't do something soon!" Glenn yelled back. "You think I don't know that? There's no where to go, but Arni! Everywhere else, there's the danger of the reef! We _have_ to make it to Arni!" Glenn nodded. "Well, we'd better get there soon, or we're all dead!" Despite the circumstances, Serge laughed. His laughter was cut short as he saw the next wave. It was twice the size of the last one, and it was already white-capping. There was no way they could make it over this one! "Hold on!" The wave crashed down on the small boat.

  


Ana awoke to the sound of birds chirping. For a few seconds she had completely forgotten everything. Then it all came flooding back to her. _The dragon. Chrono Trigger. The boat. The water-fight. The storm. The wave._ Her eyes widened. _Am I the only one left? _She thought while looking around frantically. There was no one in sight. She looked for her bow and arrows, they were gone. She looked up at the sky, it was a dark blue color. It was nearly dusk. There was no evidence that the storm even had happened. She got up. _I'd better find shelter._ She looked behind her and saw a lush rain forest. There was a pathway leading through it. She smiled. _Where there's a pathway, there's people._ She started down the pathway.

She had expected a lot of things at the end of the pathway. What she got was slightly more different. Not much less disappointing though. She arrived at a shallow pond. There was a crescent-shaped island in the middle. There were also small fairies milling around. Everywhere. There were hundreds of them! All activity stopped when she stepped into the pond. All eyes were on her. Two fairies, one in a blue dress and one in a green one, flew over to her. "You! Why are you here?" The first one asked. The one in the green dress was much nicer, "Hello, I am Razzly and this is my sister, Rosita. May I inquire as to the reasons of your visit?" Ana smiled, Razzly was a lot nicer. "I–My friends and I were shipwrecked. I woke up just a little while ago. I was looking for some shelter." Razzly smiled, "Because of your circumstances, we will be willing to provide food and shelter for you until you can secure a way back to the mainland. But we require that you leave as soon as possible." Ana smiled, "Hey. Have you seen any other humans around here?" Razzly thought for a moment and then nodded, "We have had reports of a male human down that path." She pointed at another path. Ana thanked her and ran down the path. 

  


She ran down the path for a half an hour before she decided to take a break. "I didn't know that the path would be this long!" Her stomach grumbled, "Ugh, I'm hungry." She looked around for something to eat, she didn't see anything. "Well, I guess I'd better continue." There was a rustling in the brush beside her. She froze. She saw a flash of blue. There was another rustling behind her. She spun around and saw nothing. She heard a soft growl from somewhere. She chose that time to run. As she ran there was a crash behind her. She looked over her shoulder, there were at least a dozen Lagoonates chasing her. _I wish I had my bow and arrows right about now._ She thought. Then she got an idea. She stopped and turned to look at the blue creatures. She smirked as they surrounded her. They just looked at her, hunger was in their eyes. They were waiting for the order to attack. She didn't give them a chance to get that order. Her eyes flashed a bright yellow as she called up the magic attack 'Lightning'. The Lagoonates watched in curiosity as she slowly lifted off the ground. FLASH! Electricity crackled between her fingertips. Her hair stuck out in all directions. FLASH! A nearby Lagoonate was struck dead by a lightning bolt. FLASH! Another one was picked off. FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! Three more were dead. FWOOSH! She was hit by a stream of water. The electricity that she had so well controlled had now turned on her. She screamed as the water caused the electricity to electrocute her. She fell to the ground. Her clothes and hair were sizzling. Her leg was sprained. The remaining ten or so moved in to finish her. Her eyes widened as a webbed hand grabbed her off the ground. Saliva dripped off of the Lagoonate's teeth. The sunlight reflected off of a nearby object. She turned her head to look at it. There stood Glenn. His brown hair was matted against his face and his were ripped, but he still stood there. Ana and Glenn's eyes met. He winked. The Lagoonates saw him and moved into an attacking position. The one about to devour Ana stayed. It wasn't about to give up a meal. But the distraction gave Ana enough time to start concentrating on another magic attack. The first change was that her eyes went from green to an icy blue. Then her skin did the same. Next her skin became freezing cold. She began to feel power welling up in her hands. She smiled and looked into the Lagoonate's black eyes. It had no idea what she was about to do. She touched the creature's arm with her hand and, instantly, ice began to cover it. The Lagoonate roared in pain as the ice covered his entire arm began to spread to the rest of its body. Ana's weight on its now completely frozen arm was too much. It broke off, and Ana fell to the ground. There, she was reminded of her sprained leg. She was startled as a hand was extended in front of her face. She looked up and Glenn's and her eyes locked once again. She swatted his hand away and tried to get up herself. She was able to stand, but as she tried to walk she tripped and fell. Glenn grabbed her arm and stopped her fall before she could hit the moist ground. He pulled her up with ease. "Thanks..." She said quietly. Before he could reply she said, "But I didn't need your help!" She pushed him down. Seconds later she toppled over on top of him. They stayed like that, staring into each other's eyes for a few seconds. It was almost romantic, that is until, "Can you get off me? You're hurting me." Glenn said with a strained voice. Ana then noticed that her knee was in Glenn's stomach. She smirked and put more weight on the knee. Glenn let out a big "Oof!" Ana laughed and rolled off of him. She winced at her swollen ankle. Glenn got up and pulled her up before she could object. "Now, come on. We need to look for Serge." Ana looked at him in surprise, "What? If you haven't noticed, my ankle has been _sprained_. It'll be kinda hard for me to do _anything_." Glenn smirked, "What? Can't you handle a little bit of walking?" Ana growled. "It's not that. It's just–" Glenn cut her off, "It's just what? Too painful? If it hurts too much, I'll _carry_ you." Ana's eyes widened as Glenn swept her off of her feet. "Let me down you big overgrown oaf!" She started to hit him. Glenn just smiled and continued down the path with her in his arms.

"Plus, how do you know he's even around? For all we know, he might be dead!" Ana complained. They had been on the path for another hour by now. Glenn laughed, "Serge's stronger than both of us put together times two. If we managed to make it, I _guarantee_ he's still alive. In fact, he's probably built a shelter now!" Ana was silent, and then started complaining again. "Ya know, for a rugged thief, you sure don't act like you've been living on the streets very long." Ana froze. _Does he know?_ "Say? How long have you been a thief, any–" He was cut off as they reached the end of the path and found themselves at another beach. There was a figure down farther along the beach. "You see? What'd I tell you? There he is now." And it was indeed Serge. But he wasn't in the state that they expected. His eyes were red as if he'd been crying, there were the remains of his boat in front of him. He looked up at them, Ana noticed a tear roll down his cheek. He _had_ been crying. Ana was dumbstruck. Serge was _crying_! Over what? His boat? Glenn sat Ana down onto the sand and walked over to his friend's side. "Serge? Are you okay, man?" Serge didn't reply, he just looked out to the ocean. Ana crawled over to where they were, "Serge. It's okay, you can always get another boat." Serge stiffened. Glenn sighed, "It's not the boat." Serge looked at the remains of his boat and whispered, "Kidd."

  


Glenn told Ana everything about their former adventure. Serge hadn't moved from that spot during the entire story. "So, the main you are in this is to save Kidd?" Glenn shook his head, "No. I'm in it to save the world, although saving Kidd is very important to me also." Ana nodded, "What about Serge? Why is he in it." Glenn looked at his best friend, now he was messing with the dagger he had found, "I'm not sure anymore. He wants to save the world and everything, but Kidd _is _the world to him." He smiled, "Although I'm not sure when it happened. He and Kidd never got into a real relationship on our adventures." Ana looked at Glenn, "You don't understand love, do you? Being away from a person can make you love him or her even more!" Glenn nodded, "I guess you're right." Ana yawned, "Now. If you will excuse me. I'm tired, and I want some sleep."

Glenn looked at Ana's sleeping form. "What do you think about her?" Glenn jumped, and looked to see Serge sit beside him. Glenn smiled, Serge looked a lot better. "I don't know, Serge. I feel kinda weird around her though. I can tell you that much. She's really an amazing woman. So independent, but at the same time, so fragile almost." Serge smiled at his friend and gave him a pat on the back. "So. Can the boat be repaired?" Glenn asked. Serge looked at the scattered pieces of wood on the shore. He shook his head. "Okay then. Do you think we could use it for firewood?" Serge smiled, "If we let the remains dry in the sun, they should be fine by night." Ana shivered in the cool ocean breeze. Glenn sighed, "Well, I guess I'd better get going." Serge looked at him, "What do you mean?" Glenn laughed, "I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm about to run to the fairy village and try to find some blankets for her. Er... I mean us." Serge chuckled, "Okay, be careful, friend." Glenn smiled. "Of course." He gathered his swords and ran down the path. Serge watched Glenn run out of sight, and got up. He grabbed the Mastermune and headed toward the tree line. It was time to start building another boat.

Ana awoke to the sound and heat of a crackling fire. She felt a heaviness on her chest. She looked down to find two heavy, wool blankets over her. She also noticed that her ankle had been bandaged. She looked around at where she was. Serge and Glenn had built a shelter over her. The shelter simply composed of a roof and supports, but it would do. She saw Serge across the fire from her, with one blanket on him. It looked as if he was whittling with the dagger he had. On closer inspection, she saw that he was cutting a log up for a boat mast. She looked to where Glenn was, just a few feet away from her. He had, at sometime, lost his shirt and he was sleeping soundly. He had no blanket and was using a rock for a pillow. That's when Ana noticed her pillow, Glenn's rolled-up shirt. She slowly got up. She groaned and Serge looked at her. "What happened?" She asked. "Where did these blankets come from?" Serge smiled. "Glenn. He ran all the way to the fairy village and all the way back to get those for us. Then he ended giving you his. He also bandaged your ankle, _and_ gave you his shirt. You really need to thank him." Ana absorbed all of this and smiled. "Yes. I guess I do." Ana was silent for a moment. "How 'bout you? Are you okay?" Serge laughed, "Why wouldn't I be o–" 

  


"Glenn told me everything." Serge sighed, "Oh. He told you. Everything?" Ana nodded, "Yeah. He did." Serge was silent. "Serge. I–I'm sorry." Serge looked at her. "Why? You have nothing to be sorry about."

"I know. I'm just saying that I'm sorry about everything that has happened to you. It has to be hard." Serge nodded slowly, "Yeah. And getting shipwrecked makes it even worse. Every second I don't save her, she has more of a chance of dying! This evil can't destroy the world in a matter of days, but it would only take a split-second to kill her!" He threw the dagger into the sand in anger. Glenn groaned, and Serge went back to his mast. "Is there anything that I can do?" Serge thought about that for a moment and then tossed her a make-shift fishing pole. "We could use some food." Ana smiled and limped toward a small rock that hung over the ocean.

When Glenn awoke, the first thing he noticed was that Ana was gone. The second thing he noticed was that he had a blanket draped over him now. The third was that he didn't have his shirt back. And finally the last thing he noticed was that it was now morning. He groaned and sat up. His stomach grumbled. A large, cooked piece of fish was cooking over the dying fire. He looked at Serge quizzically. "Go ahead. It's yours." Glenn nodded and grabbed the hot fish off of the stick it was cooking on. In between bites he asked, "Who caught the fish?" Serge pointed at the figure of Ana. She was sitting on top of a rock with a fishing pole in her hand. "She _fishes_ too?!" Glenn asked half-jokingly, half-seriously. Serge smiled and nodded. "So. Let's get started on that boat." Glenn said after a few moments of silence. Serge smiled and helped Glenn off of the ground. "Okay, we've got the mast nearly done, we just need to build the body now. Two or three good-sized trees should do it." Glenn nodded and got out his two swords.

CRASH! Ana jumped at the sound of the felled tree. She looked over her shoulder to see Glenn and Serge working on another tree. They were using their weapons like axes. She got up and limped over to where they were. "What's going on?" Serge and Glenn stopped working and turned to her. "We're building another boat." Glenn said, "Why don't you go back to fishing, we'll have it done in a couple of hours, I think." Serge sighed, "It'll probably take us most of the day, Glenn." Glenn made a face. "It'll take us a couple of hours to cut down the trees and cut them into small enough pieces." Ana smirked, "I am _not_ going to sit around all day long!" Glenn looked back at her, "Ana, you have a sprained ankle, you aren't going to be able to do much else!" Ana glared at him, "Watch me, Glenn!" Her eyes turned yellow and her hair stuck out in all directions. She pointed her hand at a nearby tree trunk and concentrated. FLASH! The trunk was hit by a huge bolt of lightning. The part of the trunk where the lightning hit shattered. The tree groaned and toppled over. She looked at the two boys and smirked at their open mouths. "Okay, now I believe you about that magic stuff." Glenn said after a few moments of awkward silence.

FLASH! The final tree trunk fell and Ana floated down to the ground. She landed wrong and yelped when she felt the sharp pain in her ankle. Glenn was by her side immediately. "Are you okay?" Ana looked into Glenn's eyes, "Yeah. I'm okay." Glenn offered her his hand, this time she took it. Glenn pulled her up, their eyes never left each other. "Are you two done? We still have a lot of work to do." Serge's voice brought Ana out of her trance and she noticed how close Glenn's face was to hers. She smiled and promptly pushed Glenn down onto the ground.

After using the magic a couple more times, Ana was exhausted. Serge and Glenn looked at her, silently asking why she stopped. "I can't–" She said in between deep breaths, "I can't do any more." Serge looked disappointed, but Glenn nodded. "Okay. Go rest." A pause, "Or better yet. Go catch us some lunch." Ana nodded and left to find the fishing pole. Glenn watched her as she left and sighed. "You really like her, don't you?" Serge asked. Glenn scrambled for an answer, but realized he could never lie to Serge, "Yeah. I do." Serge smiled and patted Glenn on the back. The 'pat' sent Glenn sprawling onto the sand. Serge looked at his hand and smiled, "Looks like I'm getting my old strength back." Glenn looked at him in bewilderment, "You weren't at full strength earlier? That means you beat that dragon..." He trailed off. Serge just smiled. "That dragon _never _would've stood a chance against me at full strength. You know that, Glenn." Glenn grumbled and went back to the wood-cutting..

With Serge growing stronger by then second, they cut the trees into small enough pieces in no time. After that, they cut off all of the smaller branches leaving only about a dozen logs. "You know. I think that we only needed _two_ trees." Serge said with a big smile plastered on his face. His smile grew bigger when he saw Glenn's expression. "Serge! I'm going to kill you!" Glenn started to chase Serge around the beach. 

Ana laughed at the two men. They were acting like children! Her mind wandered to Glenn's and her water fight. _Then again, maybe acting like children isn't so bad. _ She thought with a sigh. She felt a tug on her line and turned back to her fishing.

Okay. That's all I have written so far. I'm a good amount into Chapter 5:Return to Arni though. You can expect it by tomorrow possibly today. Please Read and Review. Thanks.


	6. Return to Arni

I don't own Chrono Cross or its people. I own Ana though.

**Chapter 5: Return to Arni**

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They finished the boat later that day. It was more of a raft really, but it would work. Hopefully. "Okay. We'll leave tomorrow at daybreak." Serge said. Ana and Glenn nodded in agreement. "Oh yeah. Ana." Ana looked at Serge, "I found these in the boat wreckage earlier. I figured you might want them." Ana looked at the bow and arrows in his hand. Her eyes widened, "You found them! Thank you!" She jumped up and grabbed them from Serge. The three were sitting around the fire, full from the fish Ana had caught, talking about what they were going to do next. "Anyway, in Arni, we'll restock, and then we'll head for Mt. Pyre. Hopefully, we'll be able to borrow a better boat." Ana and Glenn nodded, but said nothing. Serge wasn't their leader for nothing. They weren't about to disagree with his plans. Serge looked at them, waiting for a request or complaint or something. There was silence. He smiled and got up. "Okay then. It's settled. Get some rest, it's gonna be a rough next couple of days." Serge walked off, to be by himself. Probably to think about Kidd. Glenn and Ana were alone by the fire. "So... What do you think about all of this?" Glenn asked Ana. She sighed, "I don't know. The plans good and all, but don't you think we're kinda rushing into this? I mean, this evil or whatever it is has got to be expecting us. Don't you think that running to it might be a mistake? We should at least try to get to it from another direction." Glenn thought about it for a moment, "Yeah. We are rushing into it, but that's never stopped us before. We've run into traps before, and we never lost _anyone_. We've come close, but everybody always made it out. You can give him the credit for that one. He's a better leader than anyone can imagine. It was his destiny to save this planet, and he plans on doing just that." Ana smiled. "Plus. Maybe we might _surprise_ this evil by going the most direct way. It might be expecting us to try to find another way." Ana nodded, "Yeah. You're right." Glenn looked at her, "So. Tell me about your life. I have the feeling that you weren't always a thief." Ana sighed, she had hoped that he wouldn't ask that question. "You're right. I wasn't always a thief, in fact I was the daughter of two nobles.An _important_ two nobles. As I said earlier, they knew King Crono and Queen Nadia of Guardia very well." She paused, "They–They were murdered." Glenn's eyes widened, "I'm sorry..." Ana waved it off, "Don't worry about it. It happened many years ago. Anyway... All I remember from the night of their murder is a s–sound. A cat-like roar." Glenn's eyes widened. "Lynx." He whispered. Ana spun to look at him, "What?" Glenn's eyes were still wide, "How long ago were they murdered?" Ana looked at him strangely, "About thirteen years ago, why?" Glenn looked into her eyes, "Lynx. They were killed by Lynx." Ana's eyes widened and her shoulders sagged. "Lynx. He was a cat demi-human, wasn't he? That explains the roar..." Glenn nodded. "He's dead, right?" Ana asked, Glenn nodded once again. There was a long silence, "Good. Now I don't have to worry about avenging my parents. It's already been done..." Not another word was spoken for the night.

They all got on the early the next morning. Serge had a very determined look on his face as they set out. "This is it. We're going to save Kidd." He said quietly. Glenn put a hand on Serge's shoulder, "That's right. We're_ going_ to save her. Soon, Serge. Soon you'll be reunited with her." Serge smiled and looked up at the makeshift sail made of the blankets that Glenn had gotten before. The wind had already gotten caught in it and they were cutting through the water at a good speed. "Glenn." Glenn turned to face Ana. "I–I wanted to thank you for the other night. I heard that you ran all the way to the fairy village and back just to get those blankets. That was... very sweet of you." Glenn blushed. He scratched the back of his head, "It was nothing, really. I'm sure that Serge would've done the same thing if I hadn't beat him to it." Ana didn't seem so sure, "For Kidd, maybe, but that's just because he loves her... I–It's nice to know you care... At least a little bit..." Glenn's face turned an even deeper red. "I–Uh... I mean–" He was cut off as Ana placed a small kiss on his lips. After they parted, Ana went back to her corner on the boat. Glenn looked at her for a long time, she was facing away from him, until he heard Serge laughing. He spun around and glared at Serge, his face even redder than before. This caused Serge to laugh even more. Glenn gave him one last glare and went to sit by Ana. She looked at him and smiled. He smiled back and squeezed her hand. No words were exchanged. None needed to be said, they both knew how each other felt.

  


Serge smiled at the two. They were just staring out at the ocean now, holding hands. He sighed, he missed Kidd so much it at times hurt! He remembered the time on Fargo's boat, it was right after Kidd and Dark Serge had attacked Hermit's Hideaway. That was when he realized that he really loved Kidd. He remembered everything about her. Her blonde hair, cerulean eyes, and perfect figure. But those weren't what he loved most about her, although he hadn't quite figured out exactly _what_ he loved most about her, but that wasn't it. He smiled. He could just make out the main continent. It should only take a few more hours now. He looked back, "Hey guys–" He stopped, both of them were sleeping soundly in each other's arms. He smiled again, and looked back to the continent. His eyelids began to droop. _No! I have to stay awake!_ He slapped himself across the face. It didn't help much. His eyelids started to fall. _Well. As long as I don't go to sleep._ And with that the great Chrono Trigger fell asleep.

"Serge! You're back!" Serge's eyes fluttered open. "Ugh. Where am I?" He looked up to see a beach. A very familiar beach. _It's Opassa Beach! We made it!_ The boat had beached itself! He looked up to see one of the villagers from Arni. He turned back to the sleeping forms of Glenn and Ana. "Hey, guys! Wake up! We made it!" Ana woke up fast, but Glenn didn't even stir. Serge rolled his eyes. _Good ol' Glenn._ He walked over to him, and promptly pushed him into the receding salt water. He hit with a splash. "Hey! What happened?" Ana giggled at him and Serge laughed. "You've had enough sleep, that's what. We're here!" Glenn looked up to the beach where everything started. "Hey! Opassa!" Serge nodded. "Let's go! I bet my Mom is worried sick. I guess it's time to explain!" the villager stepped in front of Serge. "Serge..." He said quietly. "What?" Serge snapped. He wasn't in a mood to be hindered. "Arni. It was hit by a tropical storm. Your mother..." Serge's eyes widened. "No... You're lying!" He pushed the man out of the way and began running through Lizard Rock. Any monster that got in his way was slaughtered. Glenn and Ana looked at each other and ran after him.

Serge blew past any villagers, he had to get home. He had to see his mother. _She's alive. She has to be._ When he got to the village, his heart stopped. It had been destroyed. There wasn't one house standing. By now, there was quite a commotion, Serge was home! "Serge!" Serge vaguely heard Leena call him. He slowly walked to his house. "No..." His house was worse than all the others. All that was left were just a few pieces of bamboo and glass. "No..." He knelt by the house. Leena came up beside him. He spun around and looked at her accusingly. "Where is she?! Where's my Mom?!" A tear rolled down Leena's cheek, "Serge... The house. It–It collapsed. She–she was still inside..." "No! You're lying! You're all lying! Where is she?!" He grabbed Leena by the arm. "Ow! Serge! You're hurting me!" Glenn walked up and put a hand on Serge. Serge instantly let go of Leena and backhanded Glenn. He flew through the air and landed a few feet away. Ana knelt by his side. Glenn got up and walked back to him. Serge backed up. "No... Stay away! Stay away from me!" Glenn didn't stop. Serge saw his window, and ran to the left, escaping Glenn and running out of the village. Ana started after him, but Glenn stopped her, "No. He needs to be alone. Give him some time."

  


The 'time' turned into days. While they were waiting for him to 'come around' they helped clean up and start rebuilding Arni. Glenn sighed while helping lift up a support for a house, "This is the second place it's destroyed. First Termina and now Arni. What's next? Guldove? The city of the Demi-humans?" Ana sighed along with him, "I don't know, Glenn. I _do_ know that we need to find Serge and put a stop to this soon though." A twig snapped behind them, and they turned around to see Serge. He looked absolutely horrible. His eyes were red and his hair was messed up. His clothes were ripped in many places, and he looked like he hadn't eaten in days. Which he probably hadn't. "Serge..." Glenn said quietly. Serge had a look of fierce determination on his face. "Gather whatever you need, we leave for Mt. Pyre in two hours." Ana's eyes widened, "Serge! You're weak! You need sleep and food. Plus, the villagers need help! These are your friends and family! We need to help them!" Serge shook his head, "I have no family now. In fact, all I have left is Kidd. I _will_ save her. I don't care what it takes, I _will_ do it." Ana was about to object but Glenn raised a hand to silence her, "You got it, Serge. Two hours. Meanwhile, you get some rest, man. No offence, but you need it." Serge grunted in agreement and walked off. "Come on, let's gather some supplies." Ana's eyes widened, "You can't be serious! We can't leave yet!" Glenn sighed, "He's going to leave in two hours, whether we're there or not. I don't know about you, but I'm going with him." Ana nodded slowly, "Yeah. I'll be there."

They met at the docks two hours later. Serge was already there untying a boat. "Serge? Where's our boat?" Glenn asked. "At the beach, where we left it." Glenn sighed, "Serge? You're not planning on taking that boat, are you?" Serge didn't look up. "Come on, Serge! Let's just get our boat. It'll take only a few minutes!" Serge ignored him. Glenn sighed, "Fine. Let me at least help." Glenn walked over to Serge and started untying another rope. Ana watched in awe. "You guys are stealing a boat? Are you insane? That's illegal!" Glenn looked at her with an amused look on his face, "This coming from the thief. The person who does this for a living." Serge chuckled slightly. "A thief complaining about stealing something. You never cease to surprise me, Ana." She was about to reply, but another person did that for her. "SERGE! What are you doing?!" Ana looked up to see the red-haired girl, Leena, walking toward them. Serge cursed. He got up to face Leena. "Leena. Not now." Leena wasn't deterred. "Serge! Are you insane?! You can't leave again! We need you! I–I need you..." Serge sighed and walked over to her. He enveloped her in a hug, "I'll be back, Leena. I promise. There's just something I have to do." Leena pulled away from him. "No! You can't, Serge!" Glenn got the boat untied and was waiting for Serge. "Good-bye, Leena." He turned around and climbed into the boat. He didn't look back as the boat floated away.

Serge didn't move from his spot on the front of the boat for hours. He never looked back, and he didn't say a word. He looked like a statue. "Glenn." Ana whispered, "We have to do something!" Glenn nodded in agreement, "I've never seen him like this. If we don't do something soon, he could do something really stupid! He could not only endanger himself, but us and Kidd and possibly the entire world. We have to find out a way to pull him out." Ana nodded. After a few minutes, Glenn got an mischievous smile on his face. "I have an idea."

Glenn walked up to Serge, "Hey, Serge." Serge didn't move. "How're you doing, buddy." Silence. "Um... I have to go to the bathroom." Glenn said jokingly. The slightest hint of a smile appeared on Serge's face. Glenn had a look of desperation on his face, "I really have to go, Serge!" Serge's face lifted a little bit more. "SERGE!" Glenn whined in a pitiful voice. Serge was almost smiling now, "There's water all around, Glenn. A little more wouldn't hurt it." Serge said gruffly. Glenn smiled, he was making progress. "Serge! Ana's here too, you know! I can't do that!" Serge smiled more. "Then go for a swim." Glenn smiled, "How about _you_ go for a swim?" Serge finally moved, and looked at him. Glenn had an evil smile on his face. Serge figured everything out a second too late, because at that second Glenn charged him knocking both of them into the water. Serge and Glenn broke the surface seconds later. "Glenn! What are you doing?!" Serge growled. Ana was standing on the boat laughing. Serge glared at her. She didn't stop. For a moment, Serge forgot everything, and had one thing on his mind. He looked at Glenn and smiled. Glenn and Serge looked at Ana, a mischievous look in their eyes. Ana's eyes widened, "No! Not again! No!" Serge and Glenn each grabbed one leg and pulled. Ana flew off the boat and into the water. "You jerks! I'm going to get you both!" All three of them got into a large water fight.

A dark figure watched the three from afar. He growled, "Hmm... They seem to have pulled him out of his depression. This could hurt my plan a little bit, I need him to be extremely angry for my plan to work... And the anger needs to be fresh." The figure thought about it for a moment, "Heh heh heh... There's an idea." The figure ran off toward the volcano, Mt. Pyre.

Serge, Glenn, and Ana got into the boat minutes later. Serge gave Glenn a big bear hug. "Thanks, Glenn. I needed that." Glenn groaned, "Serge? Can you let go? I can't breathe." Serge smiled and squeezed tighter. Glenn squeaked. Serge laughed and released Glenn. "So... What's the plan?" Glenn asked. Another look of determination, not as serious as last time, appeared on his face. "We're going in full power. We'll show no mercy. I'm not going to let it get away." Glenn nodded, "You got it, Serge." Serge smiled and patted Glenn on the back. He made sure not to make Glenn go flying this time. He looked back at Ana. "Ana." She looked at him. "Are you sure you still want to go? It's probably going to have a lot of close combat." Ana smiled, "I can use a sword if I have to." Serge looked at her in question, "Do you have a sword?" Glenn answered for her, "She can use one of mine." Serge looked at Glenn surprised. Glenn had _never_ given up one of his Einlanzers. _Never_. He'd barely ever let anyone else _touch_ them. They were one his most favored things. _Well. Maybe not now._ Serge thought with a smile. Glenn looked at Ana and smiled. _Definitely not now._ Serge's smile got bigger. "Okay then. This is it. We have about fifteen minutes before we arrive. Start getting ready."

"It's so hot..." Glenn complained. Serge rolled his eyes. They hadn't even been in Mt. Pyre for 3 minutes. "Oh, it's not so bad, you big baby." Ana said with a laugh. "Well, you aren't wearing ten extra pounds of armor!" He said, indicating his ultra-lightweight prism mail. "Come on. We're almost there." They were now passing the place where Serge, Glenn, and Kidd fought the Shaker brothers. "Hey! I remember this place! We fought Solt and Peppor here!" Glenn said with a smile. Serge smiled at the thought also. "They were always so stupid." He said with a laugh. "What? What are you two talking about?" Ana asked. Glenn began to explain as they walked. He stopped when they stepped into sunlight.

The sight was breathtaking. Fort Dragonia was as magnificent. At least to Glenn and Ana. To Serge it was a hated place. A place where he never wished to return. He realized something. _It knows me. It knows what will cause me pain. All of this time, it has been targeting me! It must know everything!_ Serge didn't say anything. He had an idea who this 'evil' was, but he didn't want to say anything. Not until he was sure. A shadow passed overhead. The three, all deep in thought, didn't even notice it.

A half-dragon half-humanoid creature flew into the room. "They have arrived, master." It said. A dark figure smiled, "Wonderful. Don't stop them. Oh! And raise the elevator. No need to hinder them with meaningless puzzles. I want to see them as soon as possible." The figure, a man, chuckled. "Soon, Serge. Soon, I will have my revenge." The man brushed a strand of hair away from his face. It was a _blue_ strand of hair.

The three entered the large fort. "Ooh. Creepy." Ana said with a weak laugh. "Just stay close to me." Glenn said seriously. Ana laughed, "Why, Glenn. I never knew you cared!" Glenn turned a deep red. Glenn stuttered for a few seconds and then gave up. Out of the corner of his eye, Serge saw Ana move closer to Glenn. Serge, out of habit, double-checked all of his armor. The only problem was, he didn't have any armor. He sighed. It was going to be rough. "Come on. Let's keep moving." The three walked into the main room. The elevator was already raised and ready for use. "He's been expecting us." Glenn said quietly. Serge nodded and walked to the elevator.

The cage doors opened. Serge, Glenn, and Ana walked out of the elevator. Glenn started toward the right, but Serge had other ideas. He walked to the left, toward the balcony that overlooked the black switch room. "Serge? Where are you going? That just leads to the balcony." Serge ignored Glenn and walked onto the balcony. "Serge? What are you doing?" Glenn was beside him now. Serge looked at him and flashed him a smile. A Kidd smile. "Oh no. I don't like that look. Serge, tell you aren't thinking what I think you're thinking." Serge's smile grew bigger as he climbed onto the railing. "Serge! The drop is huge! You'll hurt yourself!" Ana said. "I'm going this way. If you want, you can take the long way, though. I'll understand." And with that, he jumped off the edge. He landed with a loud THUMP! He got up, uninjured. He looked up and smiled. "Serge! You're insane!" Glenn yelled down at him. "Oh, you big baby. Let's just go." Ana said as she climbed onto the railing. "Oh no, Ana. Not you too." She smiled at Glenn and jumped off. She landed next to Serge. "Aw... Why me?" Glenn said as he jumped off the balcony.

Okay! That's it for now! I just finished it, so it'll be a day or two before I get the next one up. If you R&R it might come sooner though. *Hint hint* 

Thanks.


	7. The Reunion

Okay here's chapter six! This is the moment you've all been waiting for! _The Reunion_ between Kidd and Serge. There's also a reunion between _another_ old character… Heh heh heh… Anyway, I don't own Chrono Cross or any of its characters. They belong to Squaresoft. I own Ana though.

**Chapter 6: The Reunion**

"Ow." Glenn said as he landed. Ana laughed but Serge said nothing. He was looking at the large crater in front of him. All that was left in the room was the crater and the switch. You had to climb a cliff just to reach the switch. Now you did anyway. He remembered the battle that took place here.

_Kidd, Serge, and Glenn stood in front of the final switch. "This is it. After this, we face Lynx." Kidd said softly. The three walked toward the switch, but they were cut short by a roar. CRASH! A large beast fell from a trap door, and landed in front of them. The three immediately went into an attacking stance, and took the offensive. They won the battle easily. "That wasn't that hard, now was it?" Kidd said with a laugh. "Figures. He protects the last switch with a weak monster. How stupid." Her laughter was cut short as the beast moved. It got onto all fours and opened its mouth. A black liquid slowly dribbled out. The dribble soon turned to a rush. Serge noticed that the liquid was taking a shape. Then the liquid began to solidify. When it was finished, out of the mouth of the creature was an even more hideous and dangerous creature. The new creature was black as night, but light reflected off of it. It had two gigantic arms, no neck, and the head only had one eye. One huge eye. The eye was hideous, the pupil was black, the rest was a red color. The color of blood. "Wow. I didn't expect that!" Kidd said with a nervous laugh. They began battling this creature. The creature was easily winning. With its giant-sized arms, it would just swat them away if they tried to attack it._ _It also favored the element, Free Fall. "AAAHHH!!!" CRASH! Serge crashed into the ground for the second time in this battle. He couldn't take much more._ _"Serge! Mate, are you all right?" Serge groaned and slowly got up. CRASH! Glenn had gotten swatted away. He crashed into the far wall. "Aw, man. That hurt!" Kidd looked at Serge and smiled. "Maybe Red Pin can get through." Serge nodded in agreement, and backed off. "Be careful, Kidd." Kidd looked back and winked at him. She turned back to the beast and took her stance. "Red Pin!"  Her dagger began to glow a bright red. She brought it up to eye level and smiled. She took it and threw it at the creature. It was followed by hundreds of fiery daggers. The technique broke through the creature's defenses, and Kidd had scored the first hit of the battle. On their side anyway. But the battle wasn't over yet, in fact, it looked like that move had only annoyed the beast. It brought its hand back. "Kidd! Look out!" It was too late, Kidd was backhanded by it. She flew straight through a wooden pillar. The creature wasn't done yet. The beast raised its arms and Kidd flew upward. It brought its arms down to complete the move, Free Fall. Kidd flew down at amazing speed and crashed into the ground, unconscious. Glenn ran to Kidd, but Serge looked at the beast in fury. Serge's eyes flashed a bright white. His feet lifted slowly off the floor. His skin began to glow and soon the glowing extended throughout the room. Forming a large dome-like area. Serge reached the peak of his ascent and looked at Glenn. Glenn caught the hint, and dragged the unconscious Kidd out of the room. Serge looked back at the beast and smirked. The creature brought its hand back, preparing to do the same thing to Serge as it did to Kidd. It never got the chance. Serge uttered the word he had only heard in a dream, "Luminaire." A ring of explosions started directly underneath him. Wood and concrete were ripped up and shattered. The ring extended to the beast. The beast flew backwards and hit a concrete wall. Serge wasn't done yet. In one last explosion the entire dome of light exploded brightly. The beast was incinerated. The only things left standing were the switch, the balcony, and Serge._ Serge smiled at the memory. That was the first time he had used Luminaire."Serge? Hello? Anybody home?" Serge snapped out of his trance, "What?" Glenn and Ana stifled a laugh, "Well. I _was_ suggesting that we flip that switch and move on. But you were in your own little world." Glenn thought about it for a moment and then said, "Never mind. I have a pretty good idea _why_ you were in your own world. _Luminaire_?" Serge nodded. "Ahh... Okay." Ana looked at them in question. Glenn told her that he'd tell her later. Serge walked slowly down the crater until he reached a circular cliff in the middle. On top of this cliff was the final switch. He climbed the cliff and flipped the switch. The black light that shone from the top of it was shut off immediately. Serge smiled and climbed down.

They arrived at the teleporter minutes later. Serge hesitated only for a second before getting on. After all three of them got on, time seemed to slow as they were shot upward. FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! The three phased through the ground of the receiving teleporter and solidified again. "Okay. That was weird." Ana said with a nervous laugh. Glenn laughed loudly. "I will never get used to that feeling." Serge said nothing, he was staring at two large oak doors. He suddenly found it hard to breathe. Glenn noticed this and came over. He put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "It's okay, Serge. That battle's over. It's over." Serge nodded slowly but didn't move. It was several moments before he did. He started with one slow step. He was terrified now. He was pale and he was shaking. He wished he could just turn around and run away. That all changed when Glenn said one word, "Kidd." Serge's skin went from white with fear to red with anger. The fear was completely gone now. It was replaced with pure and utter hatred. He was going to kill whoever was in here. He was going to give no mercy. Showing Serge's feelings, the Mastermune began to glow. As Serge's anger increased, it glowed brighter.

The trio reached the door. Serge pushed on it. It didn't budge. He pushed again. Nothing. He backed up and kicked it. The wood splintered where he kicked it, but other than that, no movement. He kicked again, the door moved slightly. The Mastermune flared even brighter as Serge's anger increased. With one last kick, the door flew open, and crashed against the wall beside it. Serge walked into the room first. The altar that held the Dragon Tear was gone. So were the statues of the dragons. Alone in the room was a single figure. He held a large scythe. Serge's eyes narrowed with hatred. "Lynx." He said, contempt practically dripping on his tongue. 

Glenn walked in after Serge and stopped dead in his tracks. His breathing shortened as the hatred welled up inside him. Ana walked up beside him and stared at the figure. The figure had blue hair, and he was Serge's size. It was covered with a large robe that covered its face, so she couldn't see his eye color. She had already guessed it though, a deep blue. The Mastermune was glowing brighter than ever now. It was beginning to illuminate the entire room now. The figure drew back the hood that covered his face. Ana gasped. It was Serge! The Mastermune flared brighter. Ana figured it out seconds later. She looked at Glenn, "Is that... Lynx?" Glenn nodded, but his reply was cut short. The dark version of Serge was laughing. More like cackling really. "So. You finally decide to show your face, Chrono Trigger. Took you long enough. I didn't really think that the storm would hinder you _that_ long!" The Mastermune flared.

Serge charged Dark Serge, or Lynx. They met with a clash. It was Mastermune versus ordinary Scythe. Dark Serge never stood a chance. The Scythe flew out of Dark Serge's hand on the first clash. Dark Serge disappeared and then reappeared on the other side of the room. He chuckled. "I see you've gotten stronger Chrono Trigger. A lot stronger since I faced you last." Serge slowly put his anger in check. "How? How are you alive? We destroyed FATE. We destroyed _you_." Serge said slowly. Dark Serge laughed, "Did you? Did you really destroy me? Did you see me die?" Serge thought back to that moment. He remembered that Dark Serge had disappeared soon after being defeated. "You fool. FATE cannot die!"  Serge's eyes narrowed. "It can. And it _will_." Glenn got out his Einlanzers gave one to Ana. "Oh! You want to fight?" The trio said nothing. "Maybe I should show you something first." Torches on a still shadowy side of the room instantly lit. A lump formed in Serge's throat. Kidd was tied naked to a large board. There were bruises all over her body. Her face was barely recognizable, and she looked like she had been–_No! I don't want to even think about that!_ Unfortunately, Lynx confirmed Serge's suspicions. "Serge. Did you know that Kidd was a virgin before? Before_ me_ anyway." Serge spun around to look at Dark Serge. Dark Serge licked his lips. The Mastermune was shining so brightly a person could be blinded by it now. Serge had never felt such hatred. 

He ran at Dark Serge with impossible speed. He only met air. The sound of Dark Serge's laugh filled the room. Serge spun around looking for him. Dark Serge appeared behind Serge and brought his hands down on Serge's head. He was about to kick the now down Serge, but he was struck by a huge bolt of lightning. CRASH! He flew into a wall. Dark Serge groaned and looked for the source of the lightning. He found it. There was a girl near the entrance. Her eyes were glowing yellow, and she was floating in the air. Dark Serge recognized her immediately. "Ahh... Princess Ana. What a nice... Surprise."

Glenn looked at a now horrified Ana. "What does he mean 'princess'?" He asked quietly. Ana looked at Glenn. Her eyes were wide. "I–I mean–" She was cut off by Dark Serge's laugh. "She hasn't told you, Glenn? Why! I'm surprised at you, Ana! What would your father say?" Dark Serge was obviously dragging the suspense out longer, making Glenn even angrier. Glenn began to piece everything together. "I would have thought that the daughter of Chrono and Nadia would be much better mannered." Glenn's eyes widened and Ana's shoulders slumped. "You–You're the daughter of Chrono and Nadia? You're the princess of Guardia?!" He asked none too quietly. Ana turned to face him, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Yes. I–I am their daughter. That's how I know magic. That's how I know so much about Chrono Triggers. For thirteen years, I've been running from Porre. That's why I was in El Nido." Glenn stepped back, away from her. "Why? Why didn't you tell me?" Dark Serge laughed. "I–I was scared, Glenn. I didn't know what to do." THUMP! Dark Serge fell to the floor. Serge stood behind him. He had mimicked the move that Dark Serge had done to him. "Well. I don't care _who_ she is. All I care about now is what she can _do_." Serge said loudly enough for them to hear. His words broke the mistrust. Glenn nodded at Serge and smiled at Ana. Dark Serge groaned and got up. Glenn caught Serge's eye and he headed toward Kidd. Serge looked at Dark Serge. "This is the end of you, Lynx. You've caused enough pain and suffering. I'm going to put a stop to it." The Mastermune flared even brighter. Serge had never been so angry. Dark Serge smiled a demonic smile. It was time.

"Oof! Kidd's gotten heavier since I last saw her." Glenn was slowly carrying Kidd out of the room. They had found Kidd's belongings and a couple of old blankets on a table in the corner that Kidd was at. They had covered her with a blanket. She groaned. "Don't move, Kidd. We'll get you out of here." Kidd groaned again and settled into a light sleep. She woke up with a start when the three heard the piercing sound of Serge's scream. Glenn cursed. He looked at Ana. She nodded and gave him his extra Einlanzer. He put Kidd on the floor and ran back to the room.

Serge was on his knees. He screamed out again, "Stop! Stop it!" Dark Serge laughed. "Stop? We're just getting started!" Dark Serge began to grab a hold of Serge's mind and will piece by piece. "No!" Thoughts begun flooding into Serge's head. Thoughts and feelings that weren't his own. "No! Stop!" His hatred grew, but it wasn't directed to Dark Serge anymore, it was directed to... Everything. He hated _everything_. He wanted to _destroy_ everything. He wanted to taste the blood of millions. He wanted to taste the blood of _Kidd_. "No! Stop!" He fought the thoughts and feelings. It was no use. Dark Serge's mind control was working. Serge's screams abruptly stopped. Dark Serge had complete control over him. "Serge?" Glenn's voice filled Serge's head. Hatred began to well up inside of Serge. He turned around to look at Glenn. Glenn looked at him in bewilderment. Something was different about Serge. Something was darker about him. His thoughts were confirmed as Serge ran at him, Mastermune in offensive position. Glenn was barely able to put up his Einlanzers in time.

"Serge!" Kidd screamed loudly. She sat up abruptly. She winced. She looked at Ana, "Where–Where's Serge?" Ana stared at her, "He's–uh–In there." She pointed to the room where Dark Serge, Serge, and Glenn were. "Is Lynx in there?" Ana nodded. "No... We have to help them!" She looked around for her stuff, she found them and put everything on. "Kidd, right?" Ana asked. Kidd nodded while checking her gear. "Kidd. Glenn went in there with him. Those two should be able to take care of Lynx together." Kidd looked at her in amazement. "Glenn's in there? Oh no. we have to go, _now_!" Kidd started limping toward the two large oak doors.

            CLANG! "Serge! What are you doing?" CLANG! The two broke apart. "Serge!" Glenn yelled. Dark Serge was cackling at the fight. It was a show to him. FLASH! Dark Serge flew against the wall behind him. He groaned and got up slowly. He growled the princess of Guardia. "Serge!" Kidd yelled. If Serge heard, he didn't show it. He got through Glenn's defenses and cut his arm. Glenn yelled out in pain. "Glenn!" Ana screamed. Serge! Stop!" Kidd yelled. Tears were streaming down her face. Then an amazing thing happened. Serge stopped. He was visibly fighting himself. "Serge. Please. Stop." Ana cried. Serge flinched visibly. Dark Serge was angered greatly at this. "No! Kill them!" Serge looked at Dark Serge. For a moment Serge's hatred for Dark Serge returned, but it was only for a moment, because Dark Serge's power had once again overtaken him. He ran toward Kidd. Kidd's eyes opened wide. "Serge!" The Mastermune stopped inches from her. Serge had a look of unbelievable determination on his face. "No… I can't…" He said through strained teeth. He slowly forced his head to look at Glenn. "I can't… I can't stop it much longer. You _have_ to stop me." Glenn's eyes widened. "Kill them!" Dark Serge said. Serge flinched. "Serge…" Kidd said quietly. "I—I never told you this, but I—" 

"Kill them!" Dark Serge yelled. Serge snapped. He brought the Mastermune back. "No!" Glenn kicked him before Serge could deliver the killing blow. Serge flew through the air and landed a few feet away. Glenn looked into Serge's eyes. "Serge. Fight it. You can stop this!" He said forcefully. "You just don't get it, do you?" Dark Serge said with a laugh. "He can't hope to fight it and win. He may be able control himself for a short amount of time, but it's only temporary! He's _mine_ now!" Glenn looked deep into Serge's eyes. He could see the battle taking place in Serge's mind. "Serge. Fight it! This man killed hundreds of people! He killed your mother!" Kidd stepped up to Glenn, "That's not the way to do it! Angering him will only place him into Lynx's control more!" Glenn cursed. "Then. How?" He asked. "It can't be done!" Dark Serge yelled. "No. It _can_ be done. And it _will_ be done." Kidd looked into Serge's eyes. She, too, saw the battle going on in his mind. "Serge. I—" Dark Serge roared in anger and attacked. Glenn held him back. It wasn't too hard, seeing how Dark Serge hadn't thought to retrieve his scythe. "I—I love you, Serge." It only took three words. These three words held more power than the strongest weapon. They held more power than all the elements and magic in the world. These words, _I Love You_, held more power than Dark Serge's strongest spell. Serge visibly changed. His eyes softened and he relaxed. The spell was broken. "No! Kill her! Destroy them!" Serge looked into Kidd's eyes and smiled. He was back.

            "No!" Serge looked at the exact copy of himself. "Lynx. Your spell has been broken. And now… it is time for you to die." Dark Serge's eyes widened as Serge took a step toward him. He then smirked, "No. I don't it is that time. In fact, I think it is time for me to leave." A large portal opened up behind Dark Serge. He laughed, "Until next time, Chrono Trigger!" He stepped into the portal and it closed behind him. Serge ran forward, but was unable to stop him. "Until next time then." He said quietly. He turned to Kidd, "I lo—" He was stopped by a large rumble. "I'll tell you later. Now we have to go!" he ran forward and lifted Kidd off the ground. "No time for you to limp down." He explained. She nodded and smiled. She could get used to this. The four ran to the teleporter. They got there just in time to see it fall down to the ground below. The rumbling increased. "He's trying to bring the whole place down on us!" Ana said, panic edging into her voice. "Up there!" Serge pointed to a figure above them. A figure with _wings_.

            The half-dragon half-humanoid creature couldn't do it. It just couldn't watch them die like this. Plus, it wanted to get back at its _ex_-master. He had left it here! It flew down to the four. "Get on." It said in a gruff voice. The four didn't need to be told twice. They all grabbed on to anything they could. They barely were able to fit on, but they did. It took two flaps of the creature's wings instead of the normal one, but it lifted off of the ground. The rest of the walkway plunged down to the ground below as they flew upwards. The creature flew through a skylight in the ceiling of the huge fort. From the air, the five, including the dragon/human hybrid, watched Fort Dragonia collapse with a loud rumble.

There you go! What'd you think? BTW. If I accidentally switch over to first-person view instead of third, please tell me in a review or an E-mail or something. I'm used to writing in first-person and this is my first third-person story. _Ever._ Thanks. Please R&R

--Ben

PS The next chapter probably won't have much, if any, action in it. It'll be more focusing on Kidd & Serge. Possibly some more Glenn & Ana also. I have to figure out where to go with this story now. I haven't really thought this far yet. I _really_ have to start thinking out my fanfics. *Wink Wink* I've always been the spur-of-the-moment kinda guy.


	8. Relationships

Ahh… Chapter 7 is up. Sorry, no action. I left at a nice cliffhanger though. Heh heh heh. Don't you just hate 'em? I'm such a mean author. Anyway, I'll probably get the next chapter up tomorrow. I might even get it up tonight! I have about eight hours 'til bedtime so… Check back later! 

I don't own Chrono Cross or any of its characters. I _do_ own Ana and Bobowikia though. Heh heh heh… I love that name.

Chapter 7: Relationships 

The hybrid let the four down on the shore, by their boat. The creature turned to fly away. "Wait!" It turned to look at Serge. "Who are you? Why did you save us?" The creature snorted, "My master called me Bobowikia. I am a dragonian. The last of my kind." Glenn stared at the creature. "_You_ are a dragonian? I thought that they all died out a long time ago." Bobowikia looked at Glenn. "They did. I am a clone that my master made." The four absorbed this. "So. Who exactly _is_ your master?" Serge asked finally. Bobowikia answered, "My master is the man that you call Lynx." He looked at Serge, "You may know him as Wazuki." Serge's throat caught. He never wanted to be reminded of that. Bobowikia continued, "My master left me to die. Therefore, he is no longer my master. I will no longer serve him." The clone turned around and prepared to fly. "No, wait!" He ignored their calls and flew into the sky. Serge sighed and turned to face his comrades. "Well, we had better get going. It'll be night by the time we reach Arni." _Or what's left of it anyway._ He thought grimly.

They four had been on the boat for an hour. In that time Kidd had met Ana, and the four had been catching up on things that had been happening to them. Ana explained her entire life story. The _complete_ life story. Come to find out, Kidd had only just reappeared on the planet a little while ago. She had been helping Schala make repairs to the time-lines for nearly two years. When she arrived, she immediately began looking for Serge. Lynx found her first. Serge's anger flared as he thought about what Lynx had done to her. "So. Serge. What have you been doing for two years?" Kidd asked finally. Serge laughed, "I've been doing absolutely _nothing_. Just sitting around, fishing and things like that." Kidd looked at him. A question was obviously eating at her. Serge knew what it was. He gave her a reassuring smile. She smiled back.

Kidd, Glenn, and Ana finally went to sleep, giving Serge some time to think. _Did he really do that? Kidd... How is she handling it? What if she becomes... No. I can't think like that. But what if..._ Serge's thoughts were interrupted as a pale hand was placed on his shoulder. He turned around to face Kidd. "Hey. What're you doing up? You need some rest." He said quietly as not to wake up the others. Kidd waved him off. "I can rest later." Serge smiled. "In fact, you look like you need sleep more than I do, anyway. I know how to pilot a boat. Go get some rest." She was seemingly sincere, but Serge saw otherwise in her eyes. She wanted him to stay. Serge smiled, "Naw. I'm fine for now." There was a long silence, finally, "Kidd..." Kidd looked at the blue-haired boy. "Lynx... Did he..." Kidd looked away, tears were already stinging her eyes. It was many moments before she spoke, "I–Yes. He did. Goddess, he did." She said, her face neutral. Once again, Serge saw otherwise in her eyes. "Kidd, I–I'm sorry I wasn't there." Kidd scoffed, "You _couldn't_ be there, mate. It's not your fault, it's more Schala's bloody fault. If she hadn't–" She stopped, unable to go any farther. Serge enveloped her in a comforting hug. "Shh... Don't blame her. You knew it then, and you know it now. It _had_ to be done. Neither of us liked it, but it had to be done." Kidd nodded slowly. They stayed like that, in each other's arms for a few minutes. Kidd finally regained her composure and pulled away. "So. You didn't marry her, did you?" Serge laughed. "No, Kidd. I didn't." Kidd shot him a look that clearly said, _why? _Serge thought about it, "I–I don't know. I could never bring myself to do it. I thought I loved her, but..." He trailed off thinking about the question more. "Maybe..." He looked at Kidd, "Maybe my love for you never died. I forgot you and our adventures, but it's a lot harder to forget feelings than it is people and memories." Kidd smiled brightly, "Yeah. I guess you're right." Serge smiled back, his deep blue eyes shining. "So... Where's Schala now?" He asked finally. Kidd's expression changed. It became more reserved, "I'm right here, Serge." Kidd said in a slightly different voice. Serge looked at her in bewilderment. Kidd's expression went back to normal and she cursed. "I hate it when she does that." She mumbled quietly, then to Serge, "We merged. That's why I didn't come sooner, she wouldn't leave until everything was 'fixed'. I have control over my body though. Although, if she wants, she can take over my mouth." Serge frowned, "And you let her do that?" Kidd chuckled, "I wasn't given much choice. She kinda told me _after_ she did it." Serge was angered by this, but he cooled down after a look from Kidd, "Don't worry about it. She usually doesn't pry or anything like that. In fact, she's usually so silent that it's like she isn't there. Being connected to the Time Devourer for thousands of years does that." Kidd said jokingly. "So. What were you saying at Fort Dragonia? I didn't catch it." Kidd said innocently. Serge blushed, "I–Uh... I mean–" Kidd started laughing. "Come on! I said it, didn't I?" She said with a laugh. "You _had_ to. If you didn't, I would have killed everybody." Kidd laughed again, "You would've never been able to touch me! I could beat you in a fight with both arms tied behind my back and blind-folded." Serge chuckled, "Oh. You could, could you?" He asked. "Yes. I could." Serge folded his arms over his chest. "Prove it." Kidd got a mischievous look on her face, "Okay." She reached over and promptly pushed Serge into the water. Serge came up spluttering and splashing. "Hey! No fair! I can't do anything to you! You're injured!" Kidd smirked at him. "Yep." She said with a laugh. Glenn groaned, "Hey! Keep it down you two! We're trying to sleep!" Serge and Kidd laughed. "Oh, Glenn. Just shut up." Kidd said jokingly. Glenn mumbled something and rolled over to try to get some sleep.

"You know. I actually used to know Ana." Serge looked at her. "We never really got along though. She was really stuck-up. Really spoiled. She didn't like my tomboyish attitude. I don't think she remembers me yet, though." Serge smiled, "If it means anything to you, _I _like your tomboyish attitude." Kidd grinned.

The four arrived at Arni a couple of hours later. It was nearly dark. "SERGE!" Serge groaned, "Not again! I _really_ don't need this right now." Kidd smirked at him. Serge looked up at a very angry and very worried Leena. One look from her made Serge cringe. "Serge! Where have you been? And who is _that_?" Leena pointed at Kidd, who was standing extremely close to Serge. It's a good thing that she didn't see their hands that were interlocked seconds before. "Leena... This is Kidd. And as to where I've been... I'll tell you later. We're all exhausted, and we need some rest. Kidd, here, needs medical attention." Kidd glared at him, "I do not!" Serge chuckled. "SERGE! Stop flirting and tell me where you've been! You look like you've been in a fight!" Serge ignored her and helped Kidd out of the boat. He looked at the village. The villagers had gotten a lot done in the day that they were gone. There were about three houses built so far, and there was more being completed now. He looked to his house, it hadn't been touched. He sighed. "Serge? What happened here?" Serge winced. He hadn't told Kidd yet. "Lynx. Lynx happened here." He said quietly. Kidd's face betrayed her feelings, hatred. Not that she was trying to hide it. "Lynx also happened at Termina. I'll tell you everything tomorrow." Kidd nodded slowly, then, "What about your mother? Is she alright?" Serge winced, "No. She was killed by a large storm. The very storm that Lynx sent here to destroy the place. The house–"He choked, "The house fell on top of her..." Kidd's face turned angrier, "We'll get him, Serge. Lynx will _pay_ for what he's done." She looked at the now awake Ana and Glenn, "He will pay for what he's done to all of us." The three nodded in agreement. "What _are_ you talking about?!" Leena demanded. 

Serge led Kidd to a shelter that was being built for the temporarily homeless people. He turned to leave. "Serge? Where are you going?" Kidd asked. Serge turned to look at her, "This is my home. I have to help rebuild." Kidd nodded. He was right. Serge sent her a reassuring smile and walked off. Ana joined Kidd as Glenn went to help also. "I can't believe those two. After everything they've gone through..." Ana trailed off. Kidd chuckled, "I can believe it. They have an incredible sense of duty." Ana nodded while looking at the two, "Yeah. I've only known them for a week, and I can already see that. So... Kidd. You remember me?" Kidd looked at her in surprise, "So. You _do_ remember." Ana smiled, "How am I supposed to forget you? All those pranks you pulled on me left scars, you know." She said jokingly. "Still the tomboy, I see." Ana said with a laugh. "Hah! You're one to talk! From what I've heard, you are a _thief_ now." Ana smirked, "Funny. I've heard the same about you." The two girls laughed together as they reflected on their childhood.

Serge awoke to the sight of Kidd's cerulean eyes looking into his. "Aw... It's too early. Let me sleep." Kidd laughed, "It's about two o'clock, mate. I think that you've slept enough." Serge rolled over onto his side. Kidd kicked him lightly in the stomach. "Oof! Hey! What was that for?" Kidd laughed again, "That was for being a lazy bum." Serge groaned and slowly got up. "This isn't fair." He whined. Kidd smiled innocently and stepped on his foot. "Ow! Kidd!" Kidd batted her eyelashes at him. Serge looked over and saw that Glenn was getting similar treatment. Their eyes met. They were both thinking the same things. _Revenge_. The two boys moved in unison and grabbed the girls. They lifted them over their shoulders with ease and started walking toward the dock. "Serge!" "Glenn!" Kidd and Ana screamed at the same time. SPLASH! The two girls were thrown in the water. Glenn and Serge were doubling over with laughter. "Serves you right. You need to learn not to wake us up so rudely." Glenn said in between laughs. Glenn and Serge walked off, leaving the girls to get back up themselves. "Ooh... they're gonna pay." Kidd said after getting out of the water.

And pay, they did. It started with taking Serge and Glenn's clothes while they were bathing in the local hot spring. It ended up in a huge war among the four. SPLASH! Serge was doused with a large bucket of water. He looked at the laughing Kidd, "Oh yeah. That's original..." He said sarcastically. Kidd's laughing continued, "Yeah. It may be unoriginal, but it's one of the Greats." Serge rolled his eyes. "SERGE!" He immediately started looking for a place to hide. He found none. "You know. You're gonna have to talk to her sooner or later." Kidd said quietly. Serge sighed and nodded. He was dreading this moment. He had to tell Leena about Kidd. He turned around to meet the frustrated Leena. "Serge. I need to talk to you." She said amazingly calmly considering Serge had been avoiding her for the past couple days. He nodded and the two headed toward the dock.

They sat down at the edge of the dock. "Serge.  I need to know. Have you been avoiding me?" Leena asked. Serge sighed, "Leena... I don't know what to say. Yes, I _have_ been avoiding you." Leena looked at him angrily, "Why? What did I do so wrong that caused you to go so far to avoid me?" Serge sighed again, "Leena... It's not you–" Leena cut him off, "Don't give me that crap! That's a lie and you know it!" She was nearly in tears now, "It–It's that girl, isn't it?" Serge sighed and nodded, "Yes. I _love_ Kidd." Leena _was _in tears now. "Why, Serge? Why did you choose _her_? What happened to _us_?" Serge wiped a tear off of Leena's cheek. "You wouldn't understand or believe me, Leena. I'm not even going to _try_ to explain it either. I don't know _how_ to explain it. It's just... I love her... That's the only way _to_ explain it." Leena looked up at him, "What about _us_, Serge? You didn't answer that. I thought you _loved_ me!" Serge couldn't think of an answer, "I–I don't know, Leena. I thought I loved you too... but I was wrong." Leena turned away, "We were _made_ for each other, Serge. It's our fate. Everybody else sees it, why can't you?" Serge smiled sadly at that, "Fate doesn't exist, Leena. Our paths are ours to choose. Maybe we _were_ made for each other, but things have changed since then." Leena looked at him in bewilderment, "How can you say that fate doesn't exist? That goes against everything we were taught as we were growing up! Fate _does_ exist, Serge. It's impossible to escape from it. It _always_ gets its way." Serge chuckled, "I know from experience, Leena. Fate doesn't exist, not any more at least. The Record of Fates are proof of that. They don't work any more! Just like fate, they will never be back. At least, not if I can help it." Serge said the last part to himself. "Serge... I–" Leena was crying again. Serge reached to hug her, but she pushed away. "Go." Serge looked at her in question. "Go! Just go away! Leave! Don't come back! Go off with your precious Kidd!" Serge sighed and got up. He was expecting this. "You might get your wish, Leena. I _will_ be leaving for some time. I might _not_ come back." Leena didn't say anything. She just looked out at the ocean. Serge sighed once more and walked slowly off the dock. Leena broke down into another fit of sobs. Little did she know that Kidd, who had been underneath the dock the entire time, was doing the same thing. For another reason though...

Serge met up with Kidd about a half-hour later. The guilty look on her face gave her away. "You were listening, weren't you?" Serge said. Kidd's eyes widened, "I–" Her shoulders sagged, "Yes. I was under the dock." Serge laughed, "That explains why you're wet. Oh well. I figured you'd be listening anyway." Kidd looked at him in surprise, "You _knew_ I was there?" She asked. Serge laughed again, "I didn't really _know_, I just _suspected_. Plus, I was kinda hoping you _would_ be there. I–I wanted you to here those things." Kidd smiled, "Oh, I heard them all right." She noticed that she was awfully close to Serge now. "Kidd, I love you..." Serge said quietly as he brought his lips closer to Kidd's. "Hey, Serge!" The two pulled apart quickly. Glenn and Ana ran up to them. They gave Serge and Kidd funny looks. Glenn snickered. Kidd rewarded him with a hard kick in the shin. "Ow!" Kidd smirked at him. Ana ignored all of this and started talking, "Glenn and I were thinking. Why don't we go to Termina? The villagers don't really need our help, not that Termina does either, but...." She trailed off seeing that Serge had already silently agreed. "Let's go." Serge said quickly. Glenn's eyes widened, "Whoa! Serge. We don't mean _now._ We were thinking we could at least wait until tomorrow." Serge shook his head, "It'd be better if we just went now. We could be at Termina by tomorrow morning if we walked." Ana looked uneasy at that, "That would mean passing through Fossil Valley at night." Kidd smirked, "What? You scared, Ana?" Ana looked indignant. "Fine. Let's go."

The sun had gone down by the time they reached Fossil Valley. It was cloudy and it looked like it might rain. The four walked slowly through the valley, all of them except Serge jumped at any sound that was heard in the night. A croaking sound was heard and Kidd moved closer to Serge. The Mastermune glowed lightly in the darkness. Through his connection with the three that made up the Mastermune, Serge felt evil in this place. Yes, Fossil Valley was cursed. A rock rolled down the valley wall and Serge signaled for the party to stop. "There's something here. I can feel it." Glenn walked up to him, "So. You can feel it too?" Serge nodded slowly. A distant howl was heard. Silence. Then, another howl broke the silence, much closer this time. The Mastermune began to glow brighter as whatever was howling moved closer. Serge could just barely here the sounds of padded feet walking slowly to the four. "There's something coming." He whispered. The four took defensive positions. "Ana." Ana turned to Serge. "Can you shoot a bolt of lightning down that path?" Serge said pointing farther down the path. She nodded and began concentrating. Kidd watched in awe. She had no idea Ana could do something like _this_! Ana broke her concentration just long enough to explain, "It's lightning magic." FLASH! A bolt of lightning shot down the path and crashed into a rock wall. Even though it passed quickly, Serge saw dozens of shadows. _Moving_ shadows. He signaled for Ana to do the same back the way they came. FLASH! Serge saw more shadows. "We're surrounded. There's dozens of them." Serge looked up as a lightning bolt flashed across the sky. It had come from the clouds this time. He saw the outlines of more on top of the valley walls. "Up there." He said pointing. Glenn's eyes were wide, "There must be hundreds of them!" The beasts finally started showing themselves. They were the werewolf-like beasts the Serge saw and was attacked by in Termina. "Lynx's welcoming committee." Serge said quietly. "What're we gonna do, mate? We don't stand a chance against this many!" Kidd whispered into Serge's ear. Serge shook his head, "We run. Through there." He pointed at the path in front of them. "We'll break through." Glenn nodded, "Serge, you take the front. I'll take the back, and the girls will stay in the middle." Kidd's eyes widened, "Heck no! I ain't stayin' safe while you two fight off these beasts yerself!" Serge sighed and nodded, "Fine, you're with me." Kidd grinned with satisfaction. Serge pulled the dagger he had found on the beach out of his boot. Kidd pulled hers out as well. As Serge had suspected, they were the exact same except for the material they were made with. Kidd's dagger was made with Rainbow Shell. Serge's was made with iron. "Hey! That looks like me old dagger!" Kidd said. Serge smiled and handed it to her. "Two are better than one." Kidd smiled back and took it. She now had a dagger in both hands. "Let's go."

Heh heh heh… What have I done? I've done what I vowed never to do. I LEFT YOU AT A CLIFFHANGER!!! Oh no! Too bad. I'll have the next one up probably sometime tonight. Sorry to all the people who wanted some Glenn/Ana I'll try to get some next chapter.  Please R&R.

Thanks

--Ben


	9. The Lost Brother

Sorry it took so long! I've finally beaten the Writer's Block! Well… Somewhat… But, oh well! Don't know when I'll get the next one up though. Either tomorrow or Sunday (I'm planning on seeing Star Wars, so…) 

I own Ana and Bob! Nothing else though…

Chapter 8: The Lost Brother 

Even though Kidd wanted to stay with Serge, she found that it would be impossible. The Mastermune was just too large. So, Kidd ended up in the middle anyway. Serge cleaved a werewolf cleanly in half. He jutted his swallow back to stab another one, and then swung it sideways to kill three others. These five were replaced by ten. Kidd watched in awe as Serge wiped out werewolf after werewolf. A werewolf growled at her and attacked. Kidd, mesmerized by Serge, didn't even see it until it was too late. It slammed into her. She yelled out in pain and fell to the ground. Glenn saw this and tried to help her, but he was held back by a large amount of werewolves. The beast moved in for the kill. Now Ana noticed Kidd, but she was with Glenn, so she was stuck also. "Serge!" Serge spun around at the sound of Ana, "Kidd!" Ana yelled. The werewolf brought its paw back, ready to slash Kidd's throat. A split-second later, it had no paw. It roared in pain, but was cut short as its head was separated. Kidd looked up into the worried eyes of Serge. "Are you okay?" He asked. Kidd nodded, "Yeah. I'm o–Serge!" Serge was tackled to the ground by a group of werewolves. The beasts completely covered him, tearing and biting. "Serge!" Kidd screamed again. Kidd saw something begin to glow from within the group of werewolves. A werewolf was suddenly thrown off Serge. It was followed by three more. Kidd could see what happening now. Serge wasn't even moving, but the Mastermune's power sent anything that touched him flying. A few more werewolves clawed at Kidd's fallen comrade. They howled as they were slammed into the rock wall thirty feet back.

As Kidd ran to Serge, now clear of werewolves, she vaguely noticed that it was pouring down rain now. Kidd knelt down by Serge's side. His clothes were in shreds, and whatever skin showed, was covered with blood. "Serge! Wake up!" She grabbed him and only felt a mild shock as the Mastermune recognized her. She shook Serge. "Please! Wake up!" Tears were streaming down her face now. Serge was just barely breathing, and his pulse was extremely small. Many werewolves began to converge on the two. Kidd's eyes widened as she saw this. There's no way she could take these many and live. She looked for Glenn and Ana, but saw neither of them. A nearby creature pounced. FWOOSH! It was vaporized by a pillar of flame before it had the chance to do anything else. Kidd winced at the extreme heat. She looked up and saw the form of a flying dragonian. From this dragonian's mouth came a pillar of sweltering fire. FWOOSH! Three more werewolves were vaporized. The rest of the werewolves that were in that area scattered. They were soon followed by the rest. 

Glenn and Ana ran over to Kidd and Serge. Ana placed her hands on Serge's chest and a blue light emitted from her hands. The blood flowing from Serge's wounds stopped, and the cuts and lacerations closed. Ana looked exhausted, but before Kidd could ask what had happened, the dragonian, Bobowikia, landed with a thud. Serge moaned lightly. His eyes opened and he stared into Kidd's worried eyes. "Ugh. What happened?" Kidd slapped him on the arm, "Ya nearly got yerself killed, mate! Lucky for us, Bobowikia just happened to be in the area." Serge winced at the slap. He was sore all over. He could just barely make out Bobowikia's form a few feet away. He sat up with the help of Kidd. "I guess you've saved us again. Thank you." Serge said. "You fight well, human, but you are hindered by feelings. Fighting is about instinct, if you rely on your feelings, you will fall." Serge rolled his eyes and slowly got up, "It's been my experience that feelings can give you an advantage. If you have passion, it can fuel your abilities and make you more powerful." Serge shot back. Bobowikia didn't reply. "Bobowikia, why are you here? I don't think that you're here to argue about my ways of fighting." The dragonian snorted, "I'm here to request something of you, Chrono Trigger" Serge waited. "I'm here to request that you take me with you on your quest for Lynx. He betrayed me, and I want revenge." Serge's eyes widened. _He wants to come with us?!_ He looked at his comrades and they were all having similar reactions. Serge smiled, "I won't stop you from coming with us, Bobowikia." The dragonian face remained expressionless. "I have one request for you though." Serge said with a smile. Bobowikia snorted. "Let us call you 'Bob' for short. I'd get sick of saying your full name all the time." The dragonian nodded its huge head, "Fine."

The rest of the party's trip to Termina was uneventful. They reached Termina just as the sun was thinking about peaking over the horizon. "It would be better if I stayed out of sight." Bob said after landing. Serge nodded in agreement, "Yeah, you're right. The people here are going to be very paranoid. I don't know how long we're going to be here though..." Serge trailed off. Bob got an idea, "I will try to gather some information on the whereabouts of Lynx. I will be back in two weeks time. I will meet you here to discuss what will be done." Serge thought about it, "Yes. That should work just fine." Bob turned and, in one giant flap of his wings, flew off toward the rising sun. Serge smiled at the fading form, "It sure is nice to have him on our side. Don't you agree?" The other three spoke their agreements. "Well. Let's go."

            "So, Glenn. Why exactly are we here, anyway?" Kidd asked. Glenn smirked, "I don't know. Maybe I was getting homesick or something. I do know that we were all getting tired of Leena hounding all of us at all hours of the day though." Kidd laughed, "You got that right! Man, she sure is pushy." Their conversation was cut short as they saw the figure of Dario running toward them. "You're back!" Dario said when he arrived at their position. He and Glenn hugged. "I'm glad you're back. Oh! And you accomplished your mission too! That's great!" Glenn cut him off, "No. Our mission hasn't been accomplished yet. We saved Kidd, but Lynx is still loose." Dario's eyes darkened, "It's Lynx again?" Glenn began explaining.

After explaining everything, there was a long silence. Nobody knew what to say! Finally, "You all look exhausted. Although part of the manor was destroyed, there's still a lot left. All long as you don't mind sharing a room with another person, we'll have plenty of room! After you've rested up, we can have a feast!" The four all but cheered at this plan. They walked toward the partly destroyed Viper Manor. As they walked, Serge felt a sudden cold chill. He turned around looking for something. Kidd walked beside him, "Mate? You okay?" Serge was silent for a moment, "Um... Yeah! Yeah, I'm okay. I just thought... Oh, I don't know. Don't worry about it, Kidd. I'm just being paranoid." Kidd smiled, "Okay! Come on, I'm tired. Let's get to the manor fast." Serge smiled back at her, and they caught up to the other three, including Dario.

"Okay, here's where Serge and Glenn will sleep." Dario pointed at a door. He turned back to the girls, "And you will be sleeping just down the hall. That room." He pointed at another door further down the hallway the five were standing in. "Yeah, I have one. Why do I have to share a room with Serge? The guy snores like nobody else I've heard. It's loud enough to wake the dead!" Glenn complained. The rest of them laughed. "Come on, Glenn. Let's get some sleep." Serge said. Glenn shrugged and walked into the room after him.

When he arrived in the room, Serge was already getting undressed and getting ready to take a bath in their own personal tub. SPLASH! Serge hopped in the tub. Literally. "So. How are things going with you and Kidd?" Glenn asked. Serge lifted his head from the water. He grinned widely at Glenn. Glenn laughed, that grin plus Serge's thick hair sticking to his face was just funny, "That good, huh?" Serge just stuck his head back into the water. When he came back up, he asked, "How 'bout you and Ana?" Glenn smiled, "It's going great, Serge. I can't even begin to explain what I feel for her. I–I think I'm falling in love with her." Serge smiled back, "The fact that she's the princess of a country, that until thirteen years ago was the most powerful country on the planet." Glenn shook his head, "It did at first, but not anymore. Princess or peasant, she's still Ana. If anything, that just makes me hate Porre more for taking that from her." Serge nodded, "Yeah, I understand. It the same with Kidd being a 'clone'. She had no real mother and father. In fact, the closest she had to family was Lucca. Lynx took that from her, that just made me hate him more too."

"I think I'm in love with him, Kidd." Kidd laughed, "Well, good for you, Ana. It's about time he got somebody!" Ana got out of the large spa that was built into the floor in their room, and wrapped a towel around herself. Kidd got in after her. "Ahh... I could get used to this." Kidd said while relaxing in the spa. "So. What about you and Serge?" Kidd turned a deep red, "What do you mean?" Ana chuckled, "Don't give me that, Kidd. I know you two like each other." Kidd was starting to look uncomfortable, "What are ya talking about?" Ana laughed now, "Give me some credit, Kidd. Other than the fact that you broke a mind-controlling spell by saying, 'I love you', Glenn and I barely stopped you from kissing each other yesterday." Kidd turned redder, "I–Uh–I mean..." Kidd laughed, "Yeah, yer right, Ana. Maybe I _do_ love him." _You love him more than you let on._ Kidd growled softly. _Butt out, Schala. This doesn't involve you._ Schala laughed in Kidd's mind and then went silent. Kidd finished washing up and got dressed. "I'm gonna go for a walk. Be back soon." Kidd said. Ana simply grunted and rolled over in her bed. Kidd smiled at her and walked out the door.

Kidd walked through the destruction that was once Termina. She saw many buildings being erected as she walked. _They're just like the people of Arni. Not even the total destruction of the town can stop them. They just start anew. Even if Lynx wins, he'd never be able to control these people. Their wills are too strong._ _If Lynx can't control them, he'll destroy them. That's why we have to stop him._ Kidd sighed. _Yeah, you're right, as always._ Kidd involuntary smiled. Schala had taken over her mouth. Kidd felt a shiver run up her spine. She felt like somebody was watching her. She looked around, but saw nothing. She shivered, it had gotten colder. _Time to go back._ A shadow passed over head. She froze. She looked up and saw nothing. "I'm just paranoid. Yeah, that's it. Paranoid." She walked past an alley. In that alley, she saw two gleaming eyes staring back at her. She started running. She had only one thought in her head, _Lynx_. There were no footsteps behind her. She looked over her shoulder and her heart stopped. The person _was_ following her, but he wasn't running after her. He was _floating_ after her! He wore a large cloak that covered his face. A scythe rested on his shoulder. _Lynx!_ She ran faster, but it was no use. He was catching up!

Serge woke up in a cold sweat. "Kidd!" He yelled. Glenn groaned and sat up. "What are you _doing_?" He hissed, angry at being woken up. Serge didn't bother on putting a shirt on, he simply got the Mastermune and started walking toward the door. "Serge!" Serge walked out the door. He reached the girls' door and knocked loudly. Glenn ran out of their room. "Serge! What are you doing?" Serge ignored him and knocked again. A tired Ana opened the door. "What?" She snapped. "Where's Kidd?" Ana rolled her eyes, "I don't know. I think she went for a walk or something. Why?" Serge started running toward the exit, "Kidd's in trouble!" He explained before exiting. Glenn and Ana looked at each other and grabbed their stuff.

Serge reached Termina in record time. Glenn and Ana were right behind him. They scanned the streets. Kidd's scream told them where she was.

"Let me go!" The cloaked figure did nothing of the sort. "I've been waiting a long time for this. I'm not going to let it slip through my fingers." Kidd stopped struggling. She, or at least Schala, knew that voice, but before she could contemplate it, the figure was punched across the face by the gloved hand of Serge. The figure let go of Kidd and was sprawled onto the ground. Kidd ran to stand behind Serge. She had no weapon, so she couldn't fight. Not that she thought she'd even have the chance, Serge looked like he was about to kill whoever had grabbed Kidd. _By the Goddess. Is that?_ Schala was cut off as the figure rose. "Heh heh heh... You caught me off guard. Very few people can do that. I congratulate you, Chrono Trigger." The figure chuckled. Serge grabbed out the Mastermune. "Masamune..." The figure hissed. "If you leave now, I'll let you live. If you aren't gone in three seconds, I will be forced to kill you." Serge said through clinched teeth. The figure laughed, "I think that if you fight me, _you_ be the one killed, _Chrono Trigger_." Serge got in a defensive stance. "You see! You are nothing compared to the other Chrono Trigger! Before the battle's even started, you're in a _defensive_ stance. He, at least, took the offensive." The figure sneered. Kidd could feel Schala desperately trying to figure out who this was. Her efforts were, once again, hindered as Serge charged the figure. The figure blocked the swallow easily with his scythe. The figure laughed as they broke apart. He raised his hand, palms out. A dark wave of energy slammed into Serge. Serge flew backward into a wall. He put a crater in it. Serge groaned and got back up. Kidd could easily see that he was hurt by that. The Mastermune glowed brightly. Serge gritted his teeth and ran at the figure. The figure just laughed and hit Serge with another barrage of dark energy. This time Serge flew straight though the wall. "Serge!" Kidd screamed. FLASH! The figure yelled out. FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! Ana blasted him with lightning bolt after lightning bolt. Ana settled back to the ground, obviously drained by the magic. The figure was silent for a few moments and then started laughing, "That was nothing! The former Chrono Trigger, your _father_, could've nearly killed me one of his magic attacks. You only scratched me! You have a lot to learn, _Princess_ Ana." He sneered. Glenn got into an offensive position and was about to attack, but he was stopped short as he caught sight of Serge. Serge was about fifty feet off the ground and rising. Ana and Kidd saw this too, and ran away from the massacre that was about to occur. "What's this? The Chrono Trigger can use magic too?" The figure said to himself.

Serge brought his arm back. The image of Masa and Mune did the same. He threw the Mastermune down toward the figure. The figure just watched in confusion. He only saw too late the image of Masa and Mune do the same. "No!" He yelled as the bolt of energy rocketed down at him. It was the most brilliant and powerful _Flying Arrow_ that Serge had ever done. Luckily no one was in the area. The other three had backed off enough to watch, but not to be hit by the blast.

Serge's feet hit the ground. The Mastermune was floating in front of him, ready to be taken. He smiled and grabbed it. He walked toward the crater in the ground. He silently apologized to the people of Termina for destroying more of their city while he walked. When the dust cleared, he saw the figure on the ground. He looked unconscious. The cloak was in shreds, and the hood was simply gone. Serge couldn't see his face though, for the figure was facing away from him. That all changed as the figure stirred and rose to his feet. Serge gasped, the figure had an uncanny resemblance to Serge! Actually, the most he looked like Serge was his blue hair, but that was enough for Serge. The figure chuckled weakly at Serge, "Amazing. You combined a regular technique with a light magic attack that I've never seen before. It's truly amazing. It's something that nobody's ever done before. It actually knocked me unconscious, at least for a couple of seconds." Serge barely noticed the words that were said, he was too amazed at this person's hair. For years, Serge had been an outcast because of his hair. It just wasn't normal! Blue hair is just not _normal_! The only people he knew of who had natural blue hair was himself and his father. Then the words that this person was saying registered in his mind. _Combining magic with a tech? What?!_ "Who–who are you?" Serge asked quietly, to overwhelmed by everything to come up with a stronger voice. Kidd, or Schala, answered for him, "Janus!" 'Janus' turned toward Kidd. Kidd stood by Serge's side. "I can't believe this! Janus, is that you?" Janus sneered. _Janus? Where do I know that name from? Wait, Janus helped destroy the original Lavos, didn't he? This can't be _that_ Janus, can he? _Serge wondered. "Ahh... So you finally remember me, Sister." Kidd/Schala ignored him and continued, "What do you think you're doing?! You scared us half to death!" Janus sneered again, "What? Are you not happy to see me?" Schala frowned, "Quite frankly. No, I'm not very happy to see you. Maybe if you came on more peaceful terms, I'd be overjoyed to see you. I mean, I haven't seen you for _thousands_ of years, but you kind of ruined it by chasing me, and nearly killing Serge!" Janus actually looked hurt, then he regained his composure, "It was a test. That's why I fought. It was to test his strength. As for me chasing you, you were running before I even moved. I–I've been searching for you for so long... I couldn't let you leave again, not before I at least had the chance to talk to you once more." Janus took on a kinder facial expression. Although, it still was evil-looking. Kidd/Schala's face softened also, "Fine. Well, I admit, I _am_ slightly happy to see you again after all these years." Janus smiled a nearly invisible smile and looked at Serge, "Chrono Trigger, your goal resides in the ruins of Guardia. When your dragonian friend comes back, you must go there. I will be waiting for you in Porre. Protect Schala until then." Janus turned to walk away, "Wait!" Serge yelled. Janus looked over his shoulder. "Did I pass?" Serge asked with a smile. Janus's nearly invisible smile returned and he simply disappeared. Serge knew the answer, _Yes._

Heh heh heh… That's Janus for you. So, what'd ya think? Okay, I've got _some_ ideas for future chapters. Be reassured, the end is _far_ from near. Truthfully, I want this one to be a long one. The only other fanfic that I've finished was only 9000 or so words. This is nearing three _times_ that amount. So, it's my best yet. Heh heh heh. I feel pretty good about that. Anyway… Next Chapter! The group starts toward Guardia! Action? I dunno. Whether they'll _actually_ get to the mainland? Dunno. Whether they'll be attacked by a huge sea monster and all of them killed? Hmm… Probably not. But… At the same time… The sea monster sounds kinda fun… Hmm… Well. The only thing I'm trying to say here is that I have _no_ idea what I'm gonna do. Hahaha… Oh well! Please R&R!

--Ben


	10. Against Impossible Odds

Here's Chapter Nine! YAY!!! Ahem… I don't anything in this story except for 1. Ana 2. Bob 3. The Storyline Blah. Blah. Blah. You know the drill. Chapter 9: Against Impossible Odds   


"That was your brother?" Glenn asked. The four were sitting in the huge dining hall. Kidd nodded, "Yeah. Or, he's Schala's brother anyway." Serge just sat back and listened. "So... Can we trust him?" Kidd shook her head, "I–I don't know. He's changed a lot. He's become very hateful. He has a very evil soul now. He's not the same Janus that I remember from when we were kids." Glenn folded his arms across his chest, "So. We _can't_ trust him." Serge stood up, "We're going to trust him." All eyes turned to Serge. "What do you mean, Serge?" Ana asked. Serge smiled, "We're gonna do what he says. We're going to Porre. Kidd." Kidd looked intently at Serge. "He cares about you. In fact, you may be the _only_ thing he cares about. He wouldn't lie to you. That's how I know he's telling the truth. He's planning on helping us because of that, and I think we're gonna need all of the help we can get...." Glenn smirked, "Serge, I think we can take care of Lynx. We've done it before, we'll just do it again. We already nearly killed him the other d–" Serge cut him off, passion in his eyes, "No! You're wrong, Glenn! I've been under his _control_! He _controlled_ me! No. He's a lot more powerful than we think. He's a lot more powerful than he lets on. You see, that's his plan. He gets us to let our guard down, to get arrogant, and then he destroys us. I'm not going to let that happen. But I'm going to need all of the help I can get. Ana." Ana waited. "Do you know anybody who can teach us magic? Janus said something about me combining magic with techniques. He said it about _Flying Arrow_." Ana's eyes widened, "Of course! That _is_ a combination! How could I be so blind? Wow, that kind of thing has never been done before. It was thought impossible." Serge waited impatiently. "Somebody to teach you magic? Hmm.... There might be someone. In fact, Schala might know him. Melchior. He was Guardia's finest smithy, but he also was a high priest of Zeal. He _might _know how to teach magic. Of course, I don't know if he's still around anymore. But.... Since we're going there, we might as well try to find him." Serge sat back down to think on this matter, "Okay. That's what we'll do." Ana looked at Serge, "Serge. I have a question." Serge looked at her. "Where did you learn that move?" Serge looked down at the ground, "My–My father taught it to me. Shortly before he became...." Serge trailed off. He didn't need to say anything else. "Your father knew magic.... If he knew magic, then that means–" Serge finished for her, "_Lynx_ knows magic." Ana nodded. Serge let his breath out slowly, "Well. Now we _have_ to learn magic. We won't stand a chance without it."

  


CLUNK! A wooden sword met a long wooden pole in an almost comical clunk. Serge and Glenn jumped apart, sweat dripped from their brows. They had been at it for over an hour now, Glenn fought with two wooden swords and Serge fought with a wooden pole about the size of the Mastermune. Glenn could easily se that Serge was humoring him, "Serge! I told you earlier! I know you're not using your full skill. Stop doing this and fight right!" Serge smirked at him, "Maybe you're just more powerful than you thought, Glenn." Glenn growled. Serge sighed, "I just don't want to humiliate you in front of your _girlfriend_, Glenn. I mean, it'd be embarrassing for me too take you out so fast." Glenn growled again, "Just do it, Serge!" Serge shrugged and went into an offensive stance, "You asked for it." Serge shot forward with inhuman speed. _Dash&Slash_. Glenn thought. Glenn just barely moved out of the way to avoid the pole, but Serge was expecting that and modified his technique. As soon as he passed Glenn he stopped and stabbed backward with the pole. It connected with Glenn's back and sent him to the padded ground of the sparring room. Glenn was barely off the ground before the next attack came. CLUNK! CLUNK! CLUNK! The weapons connected in impossible speed. Glenn could barely keep up. CLUNK! CLUNK! CLUNK! Glenn was weakening. It was becoming harder to keep up, and, if anything, Serge was getting faster. The weapons were complete blurs now. CRACK! Serge's pole broke in half with a hard blow to a wooden sword in Glenn's hand. The sword went flying. The two jumped apart to think about what just happened. Serge threw the two pieces of the pole onto the ground. Glenn was about to do the same with his remaining sword, but Serge stopped him, "You're gonna need that." Glenn smirked and threw it down. Serge simply shrugged and ran at Glenn. Fists met wrists as Glenn blocked Serge's punches. Glenn knew that if he didn't have wrist-guards on that his wrists would have broken with the first punch. Serge faked a punch to Glenn's head and hit him in the chest instead. Glenn stopped sliding about fifteen feet away. Glenn got up and shook his head, "I concede, Serge. I can't take much more of this beating." Serge grinned and walked over to Glenn. They shook hands. "Don't feel bad, Glenn. You lasted longer than I thought you would. Although, I'll admit, I still could've gone harder. I just didn't want to end up killing you with a lucky blow to the head." Serge laughed at Glenn's expression and walked over to the girls. They were laughing too. Serge looked at himself in a mirror behind the girls. His blue hair was matted against his forehead and his clothes were drenched. His hair reminded him of something that he had meant to ask Kidd. "Kidd. Can I talk to you?" He asked. Kidd made a face, "I'm not getting within ten feet of you until you wash up. You smell." Serge shook his head and walked out of the sparring room. He was headed for his room to take a bath.

"Okay. What d'ya want to talk to me about?" Kidd asked about fifteen minutes later. Serge sighed, "I actually need to ask Schala a question." Kidd smiled, "Okay. _Now_, what do you want to ask?" Serge recognized the tone of Schala. "I need to ask about Janus' hair." Kidd/Schala looked puzzled, "What do you mean?" Serge looked at her intensely, "It was like mine. Maybe a little bit lighter, but it _was_ like mine. The only other person I know of who has hair like this is my father. I want to know _why_ Janus has it too." Kidd/Schala was puzzled even more, "Everybody in Zeal had hair like tha...." She trailed off hit by a thought, "That's not possible." She said quietly. "What's not possible?" Serge asked quietly. Kidd/Schala didn't answer. "Schala? What's not possible?" She was silent. Serge saw why, Schala had left. Kidd was in her place. "Kidd?" Kidd was silent for a moment and then she cursed, "She's blocked me off. I can't get to her." Kidd looked at Serge, "That really scared her, Serge. I don't understand it, I've never seen her so scared. I don't know what was on her mind, but whatever it was ..." Serge wasn't listening, he had just thought about something, "Everybody in Zeal had blue hair. That's the thing. I–" He looked into Kidd's eyes, "I think I'm a descendant of Zeal. That's how my father knew magic. That's how I can already use it without it being properly taught to me." Kidd's eyes widened, "You're right. I think you're right! By the Goddess, you _are_ right. I don't understand why it wasn't seen be–" Kidd went silent, Schala had come back, "Serge. Did you know your grandparents on your father's side? Did one of them have hair like yours?" Serge thought about it, "No. Both of their hairs were brown when they were growing up." Kidd/Schala breathed sharply, she was afraid of that. When she left this time, she didn't come back....

Serge walked out of Viper Manor in a daze. It was all too much for him, his mind was reeling. Kidd followed him out, but didn't say anything. The two of them just walked together through Termina. They came to the crater that Serge made with _Flying Arrow_. Serge sat down heavily, "It's too much. I can barely handle it." Kidd sat down next to him, "You've gotta stay with us, mate. You're the leader, we need you." Serge looked at Kidd, "Kidd. What scared Schala so much?" Kidd looked at him, "I don't know, mate. I really don't know." Serge easily saw that she was lying. He tried again, "Kidd. What scared Schala so much?" Kidd sighed, "I–I can't...." Her shoulders fell, "Okay. I'll tell ya. There was a Zeal prophesy, back when Zeal was an infant nation." Serge waited. Kidd sighed, "This prophecy said that, in the far future, two Earthbound people would give birth to a pure-blood Zealand boy. This boy would live his life, and then marry another Earthbound. These two would also give birth to a Zealand boy. This boy would hold immense power. He'd be more powerful than anyone and anything else." Kidd hesitated. Serge looked at her, "What? Would he save the world? Would he die?" Kidd sighed sadly, "This boy... He would be the cause for the destruction of Gaia. His power would grow too great, and he would become evil. How he'd become evil was unsure." Serge breathed in sharply, "It's wrong." He said curtly. Kidd smiled, "Yeah. I'm sure you're right. I can't exactly see you being the destruction of the world." _Kidd. What? None of the Zealand prophesies have ever not come true. They've all happened... Except for this one. This one is the only one left._ _Well. This one IS wrong. There's no way Serge would destroy the world. I hope you're right, Kidd... I pray that you're right._

A shadow flew across the ground. Serge looked up and saw the form of Bob, "He's early." Kidd looked up also, "Yeah. _Way_ too early. It's only been a day!" Bob landed with a thud. He had scratches and burn marks all over him. "There's an army of dragons on their way here right now. There's more than a hundred of them!" Serge's eyes widened, "A hundred! We can't possibly win!" Kidd was having a similar reaction, "We have to evacuate Termina!" Serge saw something, "It's too late. They're already here." Darkness enveloped the land. Kidd looked up and gasped. There were so many dragons that they blocked out the sunlight.

Serge and Kidd ran faster than they ever had before to reach Viper Manor. Bob had flown ahead, but the two ran there anyway. An army of Dragoons, with Glenn, Ana, and Dario at the front, awaited them. Serge looked back and saw that the dragons were heading straight for Viper Manor, skipping over Termina. _Good, that'll give them time to escape._ The last line of dragons broke off of the main group and started to attack the town. _Or not._ Glenn and Ana ran up to Serge and Kidd, "What's happening? Why are they attacking like this?" Glenn asked. Serge shook his head solemnly, "Revenge. Lynx wants revenge." FWOOSH! Viper Manor, for the second time in two weeks, burst into flames. This time the entire manor was engulfed in flames. Dragoons dropped to the ground to take cover. "Serge! There was _hundreds_ of people in there!" Kidd said in anger. Ana's eyes turned to an icy blue. She raised her hands, palms out, to the sky. Dragons began to fall as they were encased in ice.

Ana was completely exhausted after encasing about ten dragons. She just couldn't do anymore. Serge turned to Dario, "Send the soldiers to evacuate Termina. Bring the Divas here, I have an idea." Dario looked like he was about to protest, but decided against it. Serge was possibly a better leader than he could ever be. The three divas ran over. With them was Dario. The other dragoons began to run toward Termina to evacuate the people. _Okay, Doreen. Do your thing._ Serge smiled as the three began remembering. Less than a minute later, the three remembered everything from their adventures. "Junior? Kidd? I remember!" Karsh said in amazement. Serge cut the rest off before they could say anything, "There's no time. We have to defeat these dragons. _Now_. If not, they could overrun El Nido. You all know what these can do." The rest of them said their agreements. "Okay. What's the plan?" Karsh asked. Serge shook his head, "The plan is to hold them back until Termina is evacuated and then we let loose everything we've got. Hopefully, we'll take them down." The other seven didn't look so sure about the plan, but they gave no complaints. "Hey. Where's Bob?" Kidd asked. FWOOSH! A pillar of flame hit a nearby dragon. It fell to the ground, but it wasn't dead. "Never mind." Serge looked at the rest of them knowing that this may be the last time he sees any of them. Knowing that this may be the last time that _they_ see him. He turned to Kidd, "Kidd. I don't know who'll make it out of this battle. I just want to say that I—I love you." Kidd blushed, "I—I love you too, mate." FWOOSH! Bob yelled out and crashed into the still burning Viper Manor. He flew out of the manor seconds later heading toward the army of dragons. "Okay. Let's go."

FWOOSH! Serge barely dodged the pillar of fire. He was running toward the remains of Lisa's element shop. When he got there, he just grabbed a whole bunch and ran back out. He found the element _Aeroblaster_ in his hand and concentrated. KABOOM! The sound was immense. So was the power behind it. The wave of wind hit the dragon. Both of the dragon's wings shattered. Serge threw the used element away, and found the element _Iceblast_. There was a rumbling underneath the dragon and then a spike of ice shot up and impaled it. "This is taking too long, we'll never make it this way." He said to himself. He saw a lot of dragons land near him. He smiled, "Perfect." He started running straight at the dragons, dodging blasts of fire the whole way. When he was in range, he summoned up the magic attack, _Luminaire_. He floated up into the air. Now, any flames that shot at him sizzled out before they even reached him. The energy of _Luminaire_ overcame them.

When _Luminaire _was done, Serge had wiped out most of the group of dragons. The ones that weren't dead were seriously injured. Serge smiled. After floating down to the ground, he finished the rest off with a mixture of elements and physical attacks. Or so he thought. CRASH! Serge flew into straight through a wall. He got up and looked at the dragon that had hit him. It was preparing to hit him with fire. FWOOSH! Serge closed his eyes and waited for the end. It never came. He opened his eyes and saw what had happened. A wall of ice had formed in front of the dragon. The dragon had stopped its attack to ponder this. Serge heard the familiar sound of rushing water. He smiled as a deluge of water hit the dragon. _Deluge, I haven't seen that in a long time. I wonder who did it._ His question was answered as Kidd ran to him, "Serge! Are you alright?" Serge smiled and nodded, "Thanks. I thought I was a goner." Kidd smiled at him, "Not with me around, mate!" ROAR! Serge grabbed Kidd and jumped out of the way just in time to avoid a pillar of flame. The dragon was back!

Serge and Kidd separated to give the dragon a harder target. It worked, the dragon got confused. FWOOSH! Serge rolled out of the way and used the first element that he found in his pockets. The sky darkened and Serge's expression turned just as dark. "Kidd! Get away! Meteorite!" Kidd heard him and started running. Serge did the same. KABOOM! The dragon roared in pain as concrete and dirt flew into it, because of the large meteorite that had hit the ground ten feet away. Serge grinned at the damage done. The dragon wasn't dead yet, but it _was _dying. It moaned in pain as life slowly left it. Kidd ran over, "Good one, mate." Serge smiled, but his smile turned into frown as he saw the other battles that were going on. Although, for Serge and Kidd, the dragons were losing, the others weren't so lucky. They were losing. If they didn't get help soon, then the casualties would begin. Serge also noticed that the people of Termina had finally been evacuated. "Come on. They need our help." Kidd nodded and began running with Serge toward the others. 

They didn't get the chance to go very far though, as a dragon landed in front of them. With one mighty sweep of the dragon's hand, Serge went flying. He landed about thirty feet away. Kidd was left to fight the dragon alone. The dragon brought its arm back and slammed it into Kidd. "Kidd!" Kidd didn't move from where she lay. The dragon's face began to turn red. Serge's eyes widened, "No… KIDD!!! Watch out!" Kidd stirred, but other than that, nothing. "NO!!!" Flames burst from the dragon's mouth. "NO! STOP!!!" The flames slowed and then stopped completely. Serge's eyes widened even wider. He looked around; there was absolutely _no_ movement whatsoever. Except for Serge, of course. There wasn't even any wind. He took one uneasy step forward. There was no sound as his steel-toed hit the ground. He tried to yell out, but even then there was no sound. _Not even sound waves are moving!_ He thought frantically. He remembered why he had yelled 'stop' in the first place. _Kidd!_ He looked at Kidd. The flames were just a mere couple of feet away from her. He ran to her, but stopped to look at the pillar of flames in awe. _I don't understand. Why'd this happen?_ He finally decided that he could worry about it later; first he had to save Kidd. He tried to move her, but she wouldn't budge. She was still trapped by time. Serge pushed harder. _Come on! Move!_ His face was red with determination. She moved just slightly, but before Serge could rejoice, he noticed that the flames were moving too, only extremely slowly. He went back to moving Kidd.

FWOOSH! Serge rolled with Kidd in his arms out of the way of the deadly flames. They came so close to hitting them that his clothes were singed. "Serge! Where'd you come from?" Kidd asked after getting up. Ignored the question and turned to face the dragon. He narrowed his eyes at it. The dragon roared in anger. It had wanted to kill the girl. Serge felt something welling up inside of him. It different from all of his techs and magic attacks. And somehow, he knew what to do. He slowly lifted off of the ground. His eyes began to actually shine with white light. Kidd backed up, she had no idea what this was, but she didn't want to be present when it happened. Serge kept on floating upward. He got higher than he ever had with _Luminaire_. Finally, his ascent halted and he looked over Termina. They were still losing horribly. Serge smirked. _Not anymore_. Serge pointed his hand at the nearest dragon. FWOOSH! Holy, white flames burst from his hand and hit the dragon. The dragon was vaporized on contact. He did the same with another dragon. FWOOSH! FWOOSH! FWOOSH! All battling had stopped now. Nobody could figure out what was happening. _This is taking too long_. Serge got an idea. He concentrated, and in a burst of light, holy flames exploded from his entire body. The flames extended supersonically in a sphere shape. Somehow, Serge was able to keep the flames from hurting his friends and destroying any building though. As the sphere of holy fire grew, it only vaporized dragons. If it hit anything else, nothing happened. WHOOSH! The sphere stopped extending. All the dragons were gone. An extreme fatigue overcame Serge, and when he touched the ground, he blacked out.

Well. The magic attack didn't turn out like I originally wanted it, but… Oh well! So. How'd you like it? Personally, I loved it. Hmm… Next chapter… Well. I have an idea, but… Anyway. Please R&R

Thanks.

--Ben


	11. Ridicule

Okay! Here it is! Sorry about the wait, it was a busier day than I thought. Okay, here's the deal. First of all, this weekend, I _will_ not be writing anything. I'll be going to Six Flags and then visiting some friends. I'll probably be back on Sunday. Hopefully, the next chapter after that will be up sometime on Monday. Then, the last weekend of May… on Thursday the 30th all the way to the 16-17 I'll be out of town. In fact, I'll be out of the USA! I'll be in Mexico for a youth missions trip. I'm _so_ sorry that I won't be able to write during that time! But… No worries, mate! I'll be back and hopefully stronger than ever, who knows what kind of inspiration I'll get in Mexico? Not that I'll be _looking_ for inspiration, but… I  just want you all to know that, while I may not be writing during that time, I will not be DEAD! I'll still be, very much, alive! Oh! I don't own Chrono Cross, I just own Ana, Bob, and any original characters to come. Chapter 10: Ridicule 

"Serge!" Kidd ran toward her fallen comrade. All confusion and thoughts of the powerful move that he had completed had left. All that remained was Serge. "Serge! Wake up!" Serge wasn't breathing. The others arrived. Kidd instantly sought out Ana. She was nowhere to be found. She turned to Glenn, "Glenn! Where's Ana?" Glenn mentally kicked himself, "She's resting. She was so tired that I told her to get to safety." Kidd's eyes widened, "Go! Go get her! _Now_!" Glenn complied and ran in the direction on the destroyed Viper Manor. "Serge! Wake up! Please! Wake up!" Not a single movement. "Serge!" Kidd started doing what she knew of CPR. It was no use. _Schala! Do something!_ Schala was silent. _Please! Kidd. I don't know. If he's the one who's destined to destroy the world, than maybe it'd be better--.  What?! No! We destroyed Fate! Fate and Destiny are no more! Please Schala! Help me! Help him! _There was silence in Kidd's head, _Please! Kidd... You saw what he did. If he's already that powerful, than think about how powerful he'll be when he masters that and more! I'd never forgive myself if he turned that against the people of this world. If we don't help him, than _I'll_ never forgive you! If you don't help him, than I don't know what _I_ will do!_ Silence. Glenn and Ana were nowhere in sight. _Please! This is Serge! This is the man that saved all of time! He saved you! Please! Repay him the favor!_ Silence. _Please, Schala... _Schala sighed in Kidd's mind. _Fine._ Kidd lost control of her arms, and Schala gained it. She placed her hands on Serge's chest. Kidd could hear her own heart pounding in her chest. Out of Kidd's mouth came words of Ancient Zeal as Schala chanted the magical spell. Kidd felt the power well up inside of her, and her hands began to glow. The first breath was sharp and painful. Serge's eyes snapped open and Kidd retracted her hands. Serge looked into Kidd's eyes, "Did we win?" He said weakly. Kidd gave him a small smile, "Yeah, mate. We won." Serge smiled back and promptly fell unconscious again. Glenn chose this moment to arrive with Ana, "Okay! I got her!" Glenn looked at the unconscious, but breathing Serge, "He's okay now?" Kidd nodded, but didn't take her eyes off Serge. Glenn threw up his hands and complained about having to run all over town. Kidd would've hit him, but she was too worried about Serge. _Plus. I can always hit him later._ Zoah volunteered to carry Serge wherever they decided to go. Viper Manor was completely destroyed by now, so they couldn't go there. Kidd looked around for a still standing building. She found one nearby, "There. We'll go there."

"Glenn. What do you make of that attack that Serge did?" Ana asked the leader of the Divas. Glenn looked at the form of Serge Kidd was right next to the makeshift bed. Serge had been unconscious for two weeks. During that time, Kidd never left his side. She only slept when she absolutely couldn't stay awake any longer. In that two weeks, she only got about five hours of sleep. Glenn and Ana sat in a corner not too far away from the two. Glenn sighed, "I don't know. I've never seen anything like it. The way it only hit the dragons..." Ana nodded, "I've studied a lot of magic in my life. I've never even _heard_ of something so powerful. And the way he controlled it! First, he was killing the dragons one by one. Then, he made it into a multiple target attack! And the biggest part that confuses me; It didn't do _any_ other damage except to the dragons. Somehow, he was even able to control what it destroyed! That was considered impossible by even the wisest scholars!" Glenn thought this over, "Serge's just full of surprises nowadays. Not that he wasn't before, but still..." A low groan was heard from Serge.

Kidd's head shot up. "Serge!" Serge groaned again, "No... Stop... You can't! No! Kidd!" Serge thrashed on the bed, "Please! Stop! Don't make me do this! No! Stop! You can't! Kidd!" Serge sat up breathing quickly. He looked at Kidd and sighed in relief. She was alright. "Serge! Mate, what's wrong?" Serge breathed deeply, "Nothing. It was just a nightmare." Kidd waited for him to continue. Serge sighed, "Lynx. He had me under his control again. This time, nothing could hold me back. I killed everybody. Then, he had me start destroying everything. Starting with El Nido. I can still hear the screams..." Serge choked, "Then he had me start destroying the Zenon Continent. I did. Everything was barren when I was finished. There wasn't even one person alive when I was done.... That's when I woke up." Kidd smiled comfortingly at Serge, "It was only a dream, Serge. Nothin' real about it. Plus, if Lynx ever _was_ able to take control of you again, I know how to snap you out of it, remember?" Serge smiled at Kidd, "Yeah. I guess you're right. It was just a dream." An idea hit Kidd, or at least Schala, and she wasn't so sure. _What if that is the way Serge will become evil? If Lynx was able to gain control of him again... Stop it! Serge won't become evil! He's too strong for that!_ _He'd never let something like that happen! _There was silence in Kidd's head. "Kidd? Are you alright?" Serge asked worriedly. Kidd looked at him and smiled, "Of course! Why wouldn't I be?" Before Serge could answer, Glenn and Ana came over. "You're up." Glenn stated. Serge groaned, "Ugh. I wish I wasn't. I have a splitting headache. What exactly happened out there?" Glenn's eyes widened, "You don't remember?" Serge shook his throbbing head. "You destroyed the entire army of dragons with some ultra-powerful magic attack! I've never seen anything like it! It was so devastating! You left not even a _trace_ of the dragons! And somehow, you _controlled_ the attack! It blew over the entire city and us, but we weren't even hurt!" Serge groaned again and laid back down, "I thought that was part of my dream." Ana cleared her throat, "If you don't mind my asking. Where did you learn an attack like that?" Serge sighed, "That's the thing. I _didn't_ learn it. I've never even heard of something like that either. I don't know _how_ I used it. It was just like a sudden power that came from deep inside of me. I can't really explain it." Ana nodded, "No need to explain. I understand how you feel. I've heard stories about impossible attacks and things like that originating from extreme emotions like anger or sadness. Though, not nearly as powerful as that, but..." She trailed off as she heard Serge snore lightly.

Serge woke up a few hours later, he saw Kidd laying down next to him. He blushed at how close they were together. They were a mere couple of inches apart. Serge tried to get up, but it was made impossible when Kidd rolled toward Serge, bringing the two together in an uncomfortable position. Kidd now had her arms around Serge, and she was squeezing him. Serge blushed deeper. Serge heard some snickering in a corner of the room. Serge was just barely able to see the only other person awake, Karsh, trying to hold back laughter. Serge glared at him, and Karsh started snickering louder. Serge sighed and relaxed in the bed. There was no way he was going to wake Kidd. She looked like she hadn't gotten any sleep in days. Then, as if to create more embarrassment, Kidd make one final movement. First she hugged him tighter, and then she brought her head to rest on Serge's chest. This, of course, caused Serge to turn even more red and Karsh snickered even louder this time. Finally, Karsh couldn't hold it in any longer and he burst out laughing. Groans of anger and tiredness were heard throughout the room as people began waking to the sound of Karsh's laughter. Just to make it worse, Kidd didn't awake until everybody else had woken up. She only woke up _after_ everybody had noticed the awkward position that the two were in. She groaned, "Ugh. Who's making all that noise?" She opened her eyes and saw the muscular chest of Serge underneath her. Kidd yelped and jumped up and out of the bed. The look on her face made even Serge laugh. Kidd turned a deep red and shot icy glares at the people laughing and snickering. Finally, she threw her arms up into the air and stormed out of the building. Serge got up, put on a shirt, and then followed her.

Serge walked out of the building and started looking for Kidd. He found her sitting on top of a large pile of rubble overlooking the ocean. It wasn't until he plopped down beside her that she noticed him. She jumped slightly as he sat down. They sat in silence for a long time. They just watched the ocean and the reflection of the full moon on the water's surface. Finally, Serge broke the silence, "So... Are you alright? I don't think I've ever seen you so embarrassed." Kidd was silent for a moment, then, "Yeah. I'm alright. It's just... I don't like being laughed at very much. I've always been the runt of the group. Whether it was at Lucca's house or with the Radical Dreamers. Being made fun of, became a daily thing for me. Now that I am, or _was_, on my own, I hoped that I wouldn't have to go through with it again. But... Looks like I was wrong." Serge put an arm around Kidd, "Don't worry about it. Everybody gets made fun of, I'm no different, take my hair for example, I've _always_ been made fun of because of that. After years of ridicule, I decided to look for the best of it. I ended up becoming _popular_ with the people of Arni because of it. I was looked up to because of it." Kidd laughed, "You were looked up to because of your _hair_?" Serge smiled, "Yes, believe it or not. For a while, it had even become a fad in Arni. All the kids and teenagers started coloring their hair blue." Serge started chuckling, "One time. We pranked Radius. While he was sleeping, we sneaked into his hut and covered his hair with blue die. It didn't wash out for weeks! It was the funniest thing!" Kidd and Serge laughed together. "I can't imagine Radius with blue hair. That's a hard one to swallow, mate." Serge chuckled, "Yeah, but it's a true story though." Serge looked at Kidd, "So... Any stories from _your_ childhood?" Kidd thought about it for a moment, "The most I ever did to Lucca was snatch her glasses while she was sleeping. But... I was quite a prankster to the other kids. I remember one time, I had gotten Lucca's Ice Gun off its place in her bedroom. I ended up freezing everybody's bed sheets solid. It was funny to see their faces when they found their sheets frozen. Of course, they all figured out it was me. Mine and Lucca's were the only one's not frozen, so they figured it out quite easily. It got in a load of trouble for that... It was probably the only time that Lucca ever _really_ got angry at me. But it's funny... She wasn't angry about the bed sheets. She found that ingenious is what she said. She was just angry that I had taken the Ice Gun and endangered myself because of it." Serge laughed, he remembered the Ice Gun from when he went back in time. Kidd's smile disappeared, "That was right before Lynx took her from me. Only a few weeks." Kidd sighed deeply. A cold breeze whipped through the place of destruction and Kidd shivered. Serge pulled her closer to him. Kidd rested her head on his shoulder, "Ya know. I don't think I've seen you so open, mate." She looked at his arm that was draped around her shoulder, "Or bold either..." Serge's face turned red, "Well...I–I mean–" He was cut off by Kidd's laughing. "So. What exactly happened when Lynx kidnaped Lucca?" Serge asked wondering if she even remembered him. Kidd sighed, "Well. It began when he showed up at the front door one night." Kidd narrowed her eyes, "I just realized something. That clown was with him that night..." Serge didn't say anything. Kidd growled softly at the thought and continued, "Anyway. He just showed up one night, Harle with him. I was there when she answered the door... From the moment Lucca saw him, she knew he was bad news. I remember her sending me to go get her Wondershot. I did and when I got back, Lynx was advancing on her, scythe in hand. Demanding that she leave with him or there would be 'casualties'. So, I did the first thing that came to my mind. I took aim with the Wondershot and shot. Lynx flew back ten feet. 

"At that moment, I gave Lucca her Wondershot, and ran to hide. But I didn't make it, at that moment those stupid fire beasts materialized and started trashing the place." A single tear rolled down Kidd's cheek, but Serge didn't see it. After a moment to compose herself, she resumed the story, "I desperately tried to run away, but Lynx caught me, and bribed Sis with me own life. She conceded, but I didn't give Lynx the pleasure of winning that easily, for I being the ingenious one I am, had grabbed another one of Lucca's guns while I was getting her Wondershot." Kidd smiled, "I grabbed it out of my pocket and blasted him straight in the face. Lynx dropped me immediately. That's when I went to hide in Lucca's laboratory. By then, the smoke and heat were devastating. I think I blacked out soon after I reached the lab. When I came to, I was just able to watch as Lynx disappeared with Lucca. I remember looking up afterwards and seeing a blue...haired... boy..." She stopped for a moment, thinking these facts over. She looked curiously at Serge. He simply shrugged. Kidd didn't look very convinced, but she shook it off, "Anyway. This boy, he carried me out of the burning building. The building collapsed seconds after we got outside. I–I think that I may have been the only one to get out... It's funny, the boy looked a lot like you, Serge." Kidd raised an eyebrow. Serge gave her nothing. Kidd looked at him for a moment longer, "This boy. He disappeared into thin air, right after telling me that we'd see each other again., and that I wouldn't be alone forever..." Serge smiled, he remembered that. _"Are–are you going to leave me?" The young girl was crying now. Serge had a set of his own tears flowing down his face, "I–I have to..." The girl grabbed onto him tighter, "No! Please don't!" Serge held her onto her for a few minutes, "I'm sorry..." The girl cried harder, "What about Lucca, and the other kids?" The girl asked quietly. Serge was about to answer when he looked down at his feet. They just weren't there... He sighed, his time was almost up, "Kidd. I don't have much time. Just know this, we will see each other again. It'll be many years, but we will." Kidd started to cry harder. She hadn't noticed it yet, but Serge's waist had completely disappeared. No! Not yet! Just a little longer! Serge thought frantically to himself. Somehow, his disappearing paused if only for a moment. Kidd kept on crying. Serge hugged her tighter, "Kidd... I promise, you won't be alone forever." The disappearing restarted. Kidd noticed it this time and gasped, "What's happening?" Serge sighed, "I have to go now, Kidd. I'm sorry..." Kidd grabbed him tighter, "No! Please!"  Serge's chest was completely gone now. "I have to. I wish I could stay with you, but I can't. Know this, I will always love you. I promise."  With great determination, Serge stopped the disappearing again, "Oh! Don't worry about Lynx. You'll get your revenge one of these days." Serge lost control over his rate of disappearance. "Good-bye, my Radical Dreamer..." And with that, the young Chrono Trigger disappeared._

Serge smiled at the memory. It was time to reveal his secret, he decided, "Kidd." Kidd looked at him questionably, "What is it, mate?" Serge smiled, "You know. The other kids made it out fine. I made sure about that." Kidd's eyes widened, "W–what? What do you mean?" Serge's smile got larger, "I told you that we would see each other again. I told you that you wouldn't be alone forever, and that I would always love you. I meant every word. And though you haven't gotten your revenge yet, I still promise, that you'll get it." Kidd put a hand over her mouth, "You–You're him! _You_ saved me from Lucca's house! But... How?" Serge smirked, "You can thank Masa, Mune, and Doreen for _that_. With the help of your Astral Amulet they were able to propel me, Glenn, and Norris back in time. Although the others disappeared as the power of the Mastermune depleted, I was able to stay long enough." Kidd absorbed all of this for a long time. When she turned back to Serge, there were tears running down her face, "You _saved_ me. All this time, I had no idea..." Out of nowhere, she hit Serge in the arm. Serge looked at her in bewilderment, "Hey! What was that for?" Kidd smirked, "You didn't tell me." Serge frowned and rubbed his arm, "You still didn't have to hit me..." Kidd smiled sweetly, "Would you rather me yell at you like Leena instead?" Serge made a face, "No! Anything but that!" Kidd laughed, but her laughter was cut short as she saw a large ship coming toward the harbor of Termina. "Invincible..."

I know I promised that Fargo and Nikki would be in this chapter, but they weren't. I'm sorry, but hey! Their ship was in it! That means that the next chapter has to have them in it! I promise! Expect some action in the next chapter also. 

Okay! I should be able to post _at least_ one or two more chapters before I have to go for the weekend. After that, expect about another two or three chapters before I leave for _seventeen_ days!

Please R&R! Thanks!

--Ben


	12. The Attack

Okay! Here it is, and Fargo and Nikki _are_ in it! Yay! Ahem… Okay… I think that you are all cheering on the inside… Anyway, there's action in this one! 

I don't own Chrono Cross or any of its characters… I own Ana and Bob though. Now… READ!!!

**Chapter 11: The Attack**

"Come on, boys! Bring her in nice and soft!" Fargo yelled as the large cruise liner/part-time music platform neared the port of Termina. Not that his men actually _listened_ to him. They were too busy looking out at the mess that was where the bustling city of Termina used to be. "What the heck happened here?" Fargo asked the figure next to him. "I don't know, Dad. I've never seen something like this before. It must have happened very recently. We were just here a few weeks ago!" The 'figure' was dressed in a thick woolen coat to protect from the cool ocean breeze. Underneath this coat, he was wearing tight, brown leather pants and a pair of black leather suspenders. He was the musical artist/actor Nikki. He was also the son of Fargo, an ex-pirate. Fargo now owned and operated a large cruise liner. The boat was also used for Nikki's band's headquarters. "You're right. Seeing how there are still fires raging and things like that going on, this must have just happened a few days ago, a week tops. A scantily dressed, blond-haired girl stepped up beside Nikki. She gasped, "What happened here?" Nikki turned to her, "I don't know, Miki." Miki was Nikki's lead female singer and dancer. She was also his wife.... "Come on. We have to go see what happened. Maybe we can help." Fargo said, indicating the rowboats lining the side of the ship. The three climbed into the nearest boat. After being joined by a few more curious sailors, the boat dropped into the calm sea. A few more boats filled with people followed, and they started rowing toward the distant shore of Termina.

Serge and the others were waiting on Termina's beach when the first of the rowboats was beached onto the shore. Fargo was the first to step out. Fargo walked up to the small group of people. Dario stepped forward to greet him, "Welcome, Fargo." Dario nodded at Nikki and Miki, "Hello to you also." Nobody from Fargo's group spoke for a long time. Finally, Fargo spoke, "So... Where's the old fart? And what in the name of Gaia happened here?" Dario stiffened. Most of the rest of Serge's group had similar reactions. A salty tear rolled down Riddle's cheek. Dario answered finally, "General Viper... was killed in battle a couple of weeks ago." Fargo tensed up, "Wh–What? Viper's dead?" Although they weren't seen together very often, General Viper and Fargo were very good friends. Dario nodded, "He was killed in battle with a dragon. The very same dragon, who along with an army of assorted monsters, destroyed Termina." Fargo snapped out of his mourning, "What? Did you say an _army_ of monsters? That's impossible. Monsters don't band together!" Dario was about to answer, but Serge did before he could, "They were commanded by a person named Lynx. He sent them." Fargo's eyes widened, "Lynx? Lynx has been gone for years. Plus. Even if he was back, he couldn't just send an army of monsters to destroy a city. That's _impossible_." Serge shook his head, "No. That's only a fraction of what he can do. Lynx can control the very _weather_ if he chooses. I know... He destroyed my home with a hurricane. A hurricane that originated from nowhere and dissipated after doing its duty." Fargo raised an eyebrow, "Do I know you from somewhere?" Kidd stepped up, "Let me handle this, Serge." Serge recognized the voice of Schala. She looked in Fargo's eyes. There was no screaming, falling to knees, or anything like that. There was just silence. After a few moments, the silence was broken by a gasp. As gasp that originated from Fargo. A scar formed on Fargo's cheek. A scar that Serge had given him during their brief fight on the Invincible. "Serge? Kidd? What happened? I don't understand. I have two sets of memories!" Kidd/Schala held up a hand, "We'll have time for that later. First..." She looked into both Nikki's and Miki's eyes. They gasped as memories flooded back into their heads.         "There. Now you should be able to understand exactly how _powerful_ Lynx is." The three nodded slowly. "How is he back? I thought we killed him!" Nikki asked. Serge sighed, "We were wrong. He didn't die. He escaped. And now... he's back, and he's more powerful than ever." He indicated Termina, "A lot more powerful..."

Serge and his friends explained everything to Fargo, Nikki, and Miki shortly after. "So... You need to get to Porre, huh? Hmm... I might be able to arrange for that." Fargo said with a grin. Nikki smiled, "Rockin'! We're goin' on another adventure!" Serge smiled at him, "I don't think your guitar is going to be very helpful this time around, Nikki." Nikki waved him off, "Who said anything 'bout using my axe? That costs too much money to get fixed. I plan on using a sword." Serge looked at him questionably, "When did you learn how to use a sword." Fargo patted Nikki on the back, "I taught 'em. I was getting tired of having to buy new strings for his guitar. The cruise business only fields me so much money, ya know." Serge smirked, "Figures. Well, I propose that we leave tomorrow morning. That way we can get some rest. I'm sure that you're tired." Fargo made a face, "Naw. We're all good. We'll leave _now_. Just give me time to gather the crew." Serge shrugged, "If you say so."

It was decided that Serge, Kidd, Glenn, Ana, Bob, and Karsh would go to Porre. The others, Dario, Riddle, Zoah, and Marcy stayed behind to help rebuild Termina. Serge and Kidd now stood at the bow of the S.S. Invincible watching the sunset. "So... How'd you give Fargo and everybody back their memories? Doreen told me that it was impossible." Kidd smiled, "Simple. Schala took their memories, and she can give them back." Serge laughed, "Yeah. I guess you're right." A shadow passed on the deck of the large ship, and Serge looked up. Bob flew right above it. Serge smiled, "So. What d'ya think about Bob?" Kidd laughed, "I don't know _what_ to think. I mean, he's a member of a race that died a long time ago!" Serge laughed, "So are _you_. Ahem... I guess I should say _us_ now, huh?" Kidd's face fell, "I–I guess so..." Serge put an arm around her, "What's bothering you?" Kidd looked, "It's this whole _prophesy_ business. It scares me, Serge." Serge put a finger under her chin and raised her head to look at him, "Do I look like I'm going to defect the forces of good and join Lynx?" Kidd smiled sadly, "No... It's not that. I know that you would never do something like that. It's just... If Lynx took control of you again... The prophesy could be fulfilled that way too..." Serge absorbed this, "I guess I'll have to be more careful then. I'll have to make sure not to let my anger and hatred get out of control." Kidd nodded and smiled., "Hey! I've been meaning to ask you. When I was about to get fried by that dragon. I looked up at you. You were about twenty maybe thirty feet away. There's no way you could've made it in time to save me. Then I blinked, and when I opened my eyes, we were rolling out of the way of the fire. How did you get there so fast?" Serge just looked at her, contemplating whether to tell her or not. Finally, he sighed, "I–I don't really know. I mean, I know _how_, but I just don't... Okay, it goes like this. When I saw you, I started running to you as fast as I could. But... I knew that there was no way that I could make it. Then I saw the dragon breathe the fire. I yelled, 'No! Stop!' And well... That's what happened, but it wasn't only the dragon that stopped. Time _itself_ stopped. Nothing moved except me. Even sound didn't move. I stopped _time_!" Kidd just looked at him, "What?! That's impossible! Nobody can stop time!" Serge shook his head, "I agree with you, it _is_ impossible. But... I _did_ stop time. I'll understand if you don't believe me, but it _did_ happen. Unless the entire fight was a dream, then..." Serge shrugged sadly. **_Kidd._**_ What do you want?** It is possible for him to stop time.** What? **The prophesy... It also told that the person would have power over time.** What? No... That can't be true!** I'm sorry... That was the final part of it. Now I know, Serge is that person. Whether or not he'll destroy the planet, I don't know. As you said, fate is dead, but... Be careful...**_ There was silence in Kidd's head. Serge noticed that something was bothering Kidd, "Kidd? What's wrong?" Kidd looked up at him, "I–It's nothing, mate. Nothing at all!" Serge looked at her a moment longer and nodded. He knew that she was lying, but he decided not to pursue it. _It's probably not something that involves me..._ He thought. Kidd yawned, "Well. I'm gonna go to bed. Gotta rest up for the big fight and all." Serge nodded and smiled, "Okay. Good night, Kidd. See you tomorrow." Serge watched as Kidd walked down below deck. He sighed, "What's going on with me?" In his deep thoughts, he didn't notice the dark shape that passed them in the water....

Serge woke up at the sound of yelling. BANG! BANG! BANG! There was loud knocking at his door, "Serge! Get up! Guldove's being attacked!" Glenn's voice ripped all sleepiness away from Serge. He got dressed. Serge ran out of his room just in time to see Glenn run up the stairs that led above deck. He followed. What he saw would stay in his nightmares forever. There was a giant sea serpent attacking Guldove. The serpent was so long that it wrapped completely around the ocean village twice! It had two heads, one at either end of its body. Out of its mouths came huge jets of water. The speed and pressure that the water poured out was enormous! A stream of water hit a wooden walkway that led to the chief's hut. The walkway was ripped to splinters. "Go! Pull away! We'll go in with the rowboats! We can't risk the ship!" Fargo said to both his crew and Serge's people. It was too late though. Serge had already dived off the side of the boat and was steadily swimming for Guldove. Kidd did the same. Fargo laughed, "Or we could swim!" The rest of the group decided to row there.

Serge swam with unbelievable speed. He reached Guldove before the boats or Kidd did. As soon as he climbed out of the water, he attacked. He started with the new move he had learned in Termina. His eyes flashed white and bright, white flames burst out of his open palms. The flames hit the sea serpent, but the move wasn't as powerful as last time. It didn't do much damage to the beast. Serge cursed. He tried again, but he got the same results. Kidd climbed onto the dock of Guldove and ran up to Serge. The two dived out of the way just in time to avoid a stream of water aimed at them. CRASH! There was a large hole where they had just stood seconds before. The rest of the group arrived a moment later, and began climbing out of the boats. Ana's eyes were already bright yellow. FLASH! A huge lightning bolt crashed into one of the serpent's. The head was stunned, but the other one turned to her. "Ana! Watch out!" Glenn tackled her out of the way as a jet of water blew past. The water obliterated a boat that was behind Ana. That's when the Mastermune began glowing...

FLASH! FLASH! Both heads were hit with lightning. In the short amount time that Serge had, he slashed deep into the snout of one. It roared in anger. FWOOSH! Serge yelled out in pain as he was hit by a stream of water at point-blank range. He crashed through the floorboards of Guldove and splashed into the water. "Serge!" Kidd screamed. She ran to the large hole. Before she could reach it though, Serge floated up out of the hole. His eyes were a bright white. Kidd could just see the image of Masa and Mune behind him. Serge reached the peak of his ascent and brought his arm back. Masa and Mune did the same. He threw the Mastermune down into the beast's mid-section. It stuck deep into it. The bolt of magic energy hit the beast in the exact same spot. When the light cleared, the beast had been cut in half. Both heads fell limp and splashed beneath the water. Cheers erupted from all over Guldove as Serge floated to the ground. Kidd ran forward to hug him. Serge felt something deep inside of him. His eyes widened, and he tackled Kidd out of the way as one of the heads of the sea serpent exploded upwards through the floorboards. The other head exploded out of the water on the other side of Guldove. Serge cursed and got off of Kidd. He turned to face the head closest to him. It glared down at him. The Mastermune glowed brighter, and Serge ran forward and cut deeply into the serpent's neck with it. The creature roared more in annoyance than pain. Serge's eyes widened as the jaws of the beast flew down at him. FLASH! A lightning bolt stunned the beast and gave Serge time to get away. He looked at Ana and smiled. If she saw him, he didn't know.

Kidd ran over to the relative safety of Ana. Serge stayed where he was. FWOOSH! Holy flames leapt out of his hands and hit the serpent in the face. The face was deeply scarred as the power of the attack had risen along with Serge's anger. The sea serpent roared in pain and sunk back underwater. The other part of it didn't. It, instead, turned to Serge. FWOOSH! Serge cursed and dove out of the way as a stream of water turned where he was just standing into splinters. FWOOSH! FWOOSH! FWOOSH! Serge ran across the dock just barely beating the jets of water. SPLASH! The other head blew out of the water next to the other one. Serge cursed again. **FWOOSH!** The two streams formed into one super-jet of water. "STOP!" Serge yelled. Time didn't stop this time, but it did slow down enough for Serge to jump out of the way in time. CRASH! Time sped up again afterward. Serge had no time to celebrate though, as the serpents were already getting ready to do it again. "STOP!" Serge yelled again. Nothing happened. Serge cursed and dove out of the way just in time. Guldove, by now, was barely standing. Most of the upper platforms had fallen long ago. A flame erupted from Serge's hand and hit one of the heads. It dove back under. The other one still stayed there though. FWOOSH! Another flame flew out of Serge's palm. The serpent roared and dove under also. Kidd came running to Serge to see if he was alright. Serge felt something deep inside of him again. He signaled for Kidd to stop. She did. The feeling was gone now. _Where are they?_ Serge asked himself. His eyes widened as he figured it out, "Kidd! Watch out!" Kidd didn't understand him. He started running to Kidd, "Move!" Kidd looked at him in bewilderment, "What?" Serge kept on running toward her, "Kidd! Move!" He knew that he'd be too late. CRASH! Kidd and the boards under her exploded upward as a head of the sea serpent exploded upward. When Kidd began falling, the serpent's mouth was wide open, ready to snatch her from the air. "NO!!! STOP!!!" Everything froze. Serge exhaled deeply as he saw this. He looked up to Kidd who was frozen in time just a few feet above the open mouth of the serpent. _How am I supposed to save her?_ Serge thought frantically. Serge began to feel unmatched power rise inside of him. He smiled._  That's how._

FWOOSH! The serpent's head disintegrated immediately when the holy flame hit it. Serge jumped over the large hole in the dock and caught Kidd before she could fall through. She was unconscious. He set her into Glenn's awaiting arms and turned around to find the other part of the serpent. It hadn't come up yet. Serge looked around. He felt something. He heard the smallest whoosh in the water beneath him. He instantly pointed his hands downward and let loose. The fire didn't damage the boards beneath him, but instead went through them as if they weren't even there. There was a bright flash underneath the dock and Serge knew that the final head was gone. He turned to look at his comrades and smiled. Their mouths all dropped. He smirked and walked toward Kidd. Bob landed next to him, "I concede. Feelings like anger and hate _can_ fuel your power." He said. Serge laughed, "So... Where were _you_ while we were getting our butts kicked?" Bob didn't say anything for a long time, finally, "I couldn't fight that..." Serge looked at him, "What? Why?" Bob looked down at Serge, "Water... It's my only weakness. I would've been killed." Serge smiled at him, "Well, in that case... You're forgiven." Bob simply nodded and took off again. Kidd groaned and sat up, "Ugh. What happened?" Serge smirked, "I killed it." Kidd looked at him and laughed, "Just like that, huh?" Serge laughed and nodded. He looked at what was left of Guldove and sighed, "We _have _to stop him..."

"Thank you so much for saving us all." The chief of Guldove said. Serge smiled, "It was no problem at all." The chief looked at Serge, "Well… Thank you again, Serge. And good luck on your journey." Serge's eyes widened, "You know who I am?" The chief simply smiled and walked away. Serge looked at him for a moment longer and then sighed. _I'll never understand him…_ He turned to his comrades, "I guess we'd better go. Not much we can do to help here." Fargo nodded and indicated the remaining rowboats, "Let's go." Serge smiled and climbed in. He wasn't planning on swimming again…

A shadowy figure sat on an old, musty throne in a dark room. He laughed, "Come to me, Chrono Trigger. Come…" His laughter echoed throughout the room…

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There it is! You've read it, now you can bless me by reviewing! _Please…_ Anyway, I hope I'll be able to get at least one more chapter up before I go to Six Flags. After that I hope for at least three chapters up before I go to Mexico. Thanks again! Until next time… R&R!!!!!


	13. Captured

Here's the next chapter! Hope you like it! This will be my last one for the weekend… Sorry…

I don't Chrono Cross, and… Aw forget it. Nobody ever reads this anyway…

**Chapter 12: Captured**

The group began rowing toward the S.S. Invincible with nothing stopping them. On the way there, everybody was talking excitably, "I can't believe you did that! I've never seen _anything_ like that!" Nikki's excitement was a blur in Serge's head. His mind was focused on a blonde girl sitting across from him. Kidd hadn't said a single word since they got on the boat. She hadn't even looked at him. It might have been an illusion in the light and Serge's weariness, but Serge was sure he saw tears on her cheeks. "Lynx ain't gonna stand a chance!" Fargo said with a laugh. Serge ignored it still. He kept his eyes on Kidd. He knew that he saw tears now. _Why is she crying?_ "Serge?" Glenn asked seeing his friend's worry. There was no answer. "Serge?" He asked a little bit louder. Nothing. He sighed and then smiled mischievously. He reached over and pushed Serge off the side of the boat. SPLASH! Kidd raised her head to see Serge pop up out of the water. He was yelling angrily at Glenn, "Glenn! Why do you always do that?!" His questions were met with laughing. Kidd smiled sadly. She thought that Serge was cute when he was angry. Her eyes met Serge's and she felt weak. _He couldn't ever destroy the world. It's not possible._ Kidd looked into Serge's eyes for a minute longer and then she saw something. It was a fire and passion like no other she had ever seen. A fire and passion that, if used wrongly, could easily make him the most powerful person on the planet. Kidd turned away, she couldn't look into his eyes anymore. They hurt too much. Serge climbed onto the boat, now he was more worried than ever. He saw _fear _in Kidd's eyes. he had all but forgotten getting revenge on Glenn. Once again, the only thing on his mind was Kidd...

As soon as they boarded the S.S. Invincible, Kidd went below deck to her room. Serge did the same. As he lay in his bed, he wondered what was bothering Kidd. _It's not something about me, is it? Kidd would tell me anything important... Right?_ There was no answer, he hadn't expected one. He sighed, "What am I supposed to do?" **_Chrono Trigger_**. Serge jumped, "Who's there?" **_Chrono Trigger, do not worry. I have not come to fight you this time._** Serge looked around the room, he didn't recognize that voice. _It's not Doreen or Schala. It doesn't sound like Lynx._ **_It is I, Janus._** Serge's eyes widened as he saw some type of purple mist in a dark corner of his room. When the mist cleared, Janus stood there. Serge, instinctively, looked for the Mastermune. "Do not worry, Chrono Trigger. I have not come to harm you." Serge looked at him, "Then why are you here? _How_ are you here?" Janus smiled slightly, "I am a master of Dark Magic. Similar to Lynx's magic." Serge narrowed his eyes. Janus laughed, "I used to be like him too. But... Traveling with Crono changed me." Serge relaxed by about a hair, "I ask you again. Why are you here?" Janus laughed again, "You're not one for small talk, are you? Good. Neither am I. I am here to warn you of something..." Serge waited patiently. Janus smiled his famous invisible smile, "You've heard the prophesies. They say that you will be the destruction of the world. Zeal's prophesies have never been wrong. You _will_ become evil. It is inevitable." Serge stopped him, "Stop. I don't believe that at all. We _destroyed_ fate, remember?" Janus laughed, "You did? Then why is he hiding on the Zenon continent?" Serge's shoulders fell, "I–" Janus laughed again, "FATE is still very much alive. He may not be working very well, but he still lives. You may know this by the way he controlled the hurricane." Serge nodded sadly. "Serge." Serge looked up at him. That was the first time he had ever used his real name. "As I said before, your becoming evil is inevitable. But... Even evil can be changed. I am a walking testimony of that. When the time comes, you must not give up. If you give up then everything is lost." Serge looked down at the ground sadly, "I–I understand... Janus." He looked up to Janus, "If I can't stop the evil... I–I want you to strike me down before I can hurt anybody." Janus didn't reply for several moments. Finally, he sighed, "Yes. If that is your wish, I will comply." Serge smiled sadly, "Okay." Janus turned to leave. Before disappearing, he turned to look at Serge, "Serge." Serge looked up at him. "You should go to my sister. She needs you." And with that, Janus faded.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! Serge stood outside Kidd's door knocking. KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! No answer. He jiggled the doorknob. It was locked. "Kidd?" He heard the slightest sound. It sounded like a sob. He sighed, "Sorry, Fargo." He made a fist and promptly punched a hole in the wooden door. From there, he unlocked it and opened it. "Kidd?" Kid was sitting on her bed staring at him. Serge's worried eyes met Kidd's surprised eyes. Kidd's eyes were red and puffy. Serge saw a tear travel down her tear-stained cheek. He walked over to her and sat down next to her. He waited. For a long time, Kidd didn't say anything. She just looked straight forward as if she was afraid to meet Serge's gaze. _Only one way to find out if that's true._ Serge got up and stood in front of Kidd. From there, he kneeled to where he was eye-level with her. Kidd suddenly found something on the ground interesting to look at. Serge sighed, "Why won't you look at me?" No answer, but Serge saw Kidd's bottom lip quivering. Serge put a finger underneath Kidd's chin and lifted her face to look at him. Kidd's eyes turned away. _She's afraid! She's afraid of me!_ "Kidd?" A tear rolled down her cheek. "Kidd... Please answer me..." Nothing. "Kidd! Why are you acting like this? Why won't you say anything? Won't you even _look_ at me?" Kidd let out a trembling breath and looked into his eyes. Serge smiled warmly at her, "There. Now we're making progress." Kidd didn't answer. "What's wrong, Kidd? What's bothering you?" Kidd let out another trembling breath and spoke, "It–It's about the–the prophesy..." Serge stiffened. Kidd continued slowly, "The prophesy... There was one more part to it that I didn't tell you..."  Serge stared deep into her eyes, "What is it, Kidd?" Kidd hesitated. Finally, "It said... that the person... he would have control over time itself. That he would be able to stop or slow time with ease." Another tear rolled down her cheek, she couldn't hold it in much longer. "Serge. That was the final prophesy that described the person. You have fulfilled them all. All that's left is the results..." Kidd choked and she lost it. Tears flowed freely and she sobbed in Serge's shoulder. Serge just held her for what seemed to be a long time. He was too shocked to do anything else.

It was a long time before Kidd finally composed herself. "Thanks." She said quietly. Serge was silent for a few moments, "Kidd... Janus. He appeared in my room today." That caught Kidd's attention easily, "What do you mean?" Serge sighed, "He appeared in my room. It's as simple as that. He was there to deliver a message to me. He told me... that my becoming evil was inevitable." Kidd looked at Serge intensely. Serge smiled, "He was also there with some words of encouragement. He said that although I couldn't prevent it, I could _change_ it. Go back to the good side, or something like that. He told me that he was a walking testimony of that..." Kidd was crying again, but not in sadness. Not in joy either. She settled for somewhere around the middle of those two extremes. She grabbed Serge and didn't let go. Serge smiled and hugged her back. Serge laughed, "He also told me that you needed me." Kidd laughed along with him, "He's changed a lot from the last time I saw him. The last time I saw him was when he was a cold monster. Now he's giving messages of encouragement. It's amazing." Serge gave Kidd one last squeeze and let go of her. "Yeah. It is amazing. He said that his traveling with Crono did that to him." Kidd laid her head on Serge shoulder, and he put an arm around her. "So. After this whole mess is cleared up, what do you think you're going to do?" Kidd thought about it for a moment, "I don't really know. I haven't thought much about it." Serge smiled nervously. This was it. "Kidd..." Kidd looked up at him, "Yeah, mate?" Serge got off of the bed and kneeled to eye-level in front of her again, "I–I need to ask you something." Kidd just looked at him with confusion showing in her eyes, "What is it, Serge?" Serge let out his breath slowly, "I–I love you. You know that." Kidd's eyes widened. _Is he–_ "I know I don't have a ring or anything, but..." He took Kidd's into his own. He looked deeply into her eyes, "Will you... Would you... Marry me?" Kidd eyes widened and she nearly started hyperventilating. _Marry him?! He's asking this now? It's too early, I don't know!** Say yes.**_ _What?! **Well, you love him don't you?** Of course I do!** Then just say yes!** But I don't think I'm ready! _"Kidd?" Kidd jumped. She looked back into Serge's hopeful eyes, "I–I mean..." Serge sighed, "You don't have to answer now. I know that it's a hard decision. Whenever you feel you're ready..." Kidd didn't reply. She was in shock. **_Kidd! What are you doing?_**_ Shut up, Schala! _Schala took control of Kidd's mouth,

"Yes." Serge looked into Kidd/Schala's eyes, "Thanks, Schala, but I want _Kidd_ to answer." Schala was dumbfounded. **_How did he know that was me? I did a perfect imitation..._**Kidd laughed in her mind. _Serge's full of surprises..._Serge took his hands off of Kidd's hands, "I told you that you could answer me later. I understand if you don't feel ready. I don't know if _I'm_ ready yet! But... I love you..." New tears formed in Kidd's eyes. Serge stood up, "I'm going to get some sleep. Think about it..." Kidd nodded absent-mindedly. Serge smiled and turned to leave. "Serge! Kidd! Get up here!" Serge heard Glenn yell from the top of the stairs that led above deck. He sighed, "Or not..." He gave Kidd one last reassuring smile and walked out the door. Kidd looked at the empty doorway. Multiple tears fell down her cheeks and splashed onto the floorboards. She snapped out of her daze and got up, "I guess I'd better go..." She walked out of the room.

Kidd gasped at the sight that she saw when she walked up the stairs. They were traveling through a canyon. Water poured down the canyon walls at deadly speeds. Mist from the waterfalls was everywhere making it hard to see. Through her limited sight, Kidd could see two rainbows spanning the canyon walls. They were traveling through El Nido Canyon. The canyon served as a border between El Nido and the rest of the world. She absent-mindedly walked to stand next to Serge. Serge's mouth had dropped a long time ago, and it still hadn't moved. He had never seen anything like this! "It's... beautiful!" Kidd said in awe. Serge still didn't move. "Hold on! Rough waters ahead!" Fargo yelled. He was right. The canyon walls got closer together up ahead. This caused the water to churn violently. SPLASH! A wave hit the side of the boat. The boat shook violently. Serge grabbed onto Kidd to stop her from falling overboard. The next wave sent them _both_ falling onto the deck. Serge chuckled softly at the irony. _Beautiful and dangerous. Just like Kidd._

SPLASH! Fargo could barely stop the huge ship from careening into the deadly falling water. SPLASH! "Come on..." He gritted his teeth. "Almost there..." SPLASH! The end of the canyon was in sight. SPLASH! The S.S. Invincible rocketed out of the canyon and into the ocean. A collective cheer arose from the deck of the ship. Nikki patted his father on the back, "You did it again, Dad." Fargo laughed, "Was there any doubt?"

It was another day before they saw land. In this day, Kidd and Serge had not said one word to each other. They both mostly stayed in their respective rooms. Right now, Serge was up on the main deck looking out across this strange new sea. Glenn walked up to him and stood by him. There was silence for a few minutes. Finally, "So... How are you and Kidd? I haven't seen you two together at all today." Serge chuckled quietly, "It's my fault... I–" He hesitated. Glenn looked at him, "You what?" Serge looked at his best friend, "I kinda... asked her to marry me after all of this was finished..." Glenn's eyes widened, "Wh–What?! You... asked her to marry you?" Serge nodded. Glenn's eyes widened even more then he laughed, "I never thought you had it in you, buddy." Serge laughed also, "Yeah. I know what you mean." Serge saw land., "Hey! We're almost there!" Glenn looked to the land and sneered, "Porre..."

"Bring her in nice and soft! No! We're going too fast! Slow down!" CRASH! "Aw, man... That's coming out of your paychecks!" The crewmen groaned. Serge laughed at the fuming Fargo. He looked at the city that they had arrived at. It was the capital of Porre. Its name was also Porre. From the boat, he could see thousands of people milling around. Some were now coming to see the large ship that had just arrived. In the small crowd that was forming, Serge could also see the blue uniforms of Porre soldiers. The exit ramp was lowered. "Let me handle this, boys." Fargo said with a reassuring smile. He walked down first and started explaining why he had docked without permission, "We've been on the sea for weeks. We had lost our compass and we were lost. We were running dangerously low on provisions and we needed restocking." Before the Porre sergeant could reply, screams erupted from the crowd. Mostly from the teenage women. Nikki stepped down off of the ramp with Miki next to him. At the sight of Miki most of the men began drooling. Nikki silenced the crowd with a motion with his hands, "Sorry. No time for autographs, we're in a hurry." The crowd was visibly disappointed. "As you see, we're carrying some pretty important people." Fargo said. The sergeant snorted, "I wouldn't call a teenage rock star _important_. But... I'm feeling good today, so I'll give you twelve hours. If your boat is still there after that..." The sergeant trailed off as he saw the next few people walking off of the boat. Fargo turned to look also and he cursed silently. Serge, Glenn, Karsh, Ana, and Kidd were all walking down the ramp. "Is that..." The sergeant's eyes widened, "That's Sir Glenn and Sir Karsh! Spies!" He looked back to Fargo, "I am placing you under arrest for transporting spies. If you resist, I will be forced to use force." At the sight of the other soldiers around him, Fargo decided against resisting. The sergeant turned to his subordinates, "Seize the passengers!" One soldier looked up at him, "_All_ of them?" The sergeant was fuming, "Yes! _All_ of them!" The soldiers all nodded and ran to the boat.

Serge's eyes widened when he saw the soldiers running to him. He cursed. The first one arrived and pointed a gun at the group, "You're all under arrest. If you resist, you will lose." Serge smirked and looked at Glenn. Glenn laughed loudly, "We'll _lose_? I'm afraid that _you_ will be the losers." Serge looked at Ana, "Get them with some lightning. Don't kill them though." Ana nodded and her eyes turned yellow. The first soldier pulled the hammer on his gun back. The others imitated him. FLASH! The first soldier yelled out. FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! The soldiers were all knocked unconscious. Serge smirked, "That was easy." Serge heard a familiar click. He looked at the crowd. Nearly all of them had guns. His eyes widened as he desperately looked for a way out. There wasn't one. He cursed, "I guess we're stuck." The Porre sergeant walked up to him, "Surrender your weapons." Serge smirked, "Okay." The Mastermune clattered loudly on the ground. The others' weapons fell in similar fashion. "Okay. Put your hands above your heads." They complied. The sergeant signaled for some of the other soldiers to come and help him with the weapons. The sergeant bent down to pick up the Mastermune. FLASH! He was thrown back. A gun was leveled at Serge's head. Serge sighed and mentally told Doreen to stop. The sergeant signaled for one of the soldiers to pick it up instead of him. The soldier did what he was told do. He picked up the Mastermune with ease. "Move." The sergeant said. Serge could see Nikki and the others being rounded up also. Something caught his eye. Bob flew overhead. He smiled, they would be out soon enough...

A dark figure stood on top a building not too far away from where everything was happening. Janus looked at the group of people being loaded into a large trailer. He cursed. _This will slow them down._ He looked up and saw Bob flying overhead. _Or not..._ With a flash, Janus disappeared.

A girl, her face covered with face paint, watched as the trailer drove off, "Serge..." She heard a shuffling sound on the roof of a nearby building. She looked up, the bells on her two-colored hat jingled as she did so. She saw nothing. "Hmm..."

The trailer shook as it ran over a large pothole. Other than that, there was silence in the trailer. There were three Porre soldiers sitting together near the front of the trailer. One of them was the sergeant. The sergeant got up and walked over to Glenn, "Why are you here?" Glenn didn't answer, he just stared straight ahead. The sergeant growled softly, " I asked, why are you here? Are you a spy?" No answer. The sergeant brought a gloved hand back and back-handed Glenn across the face. Ana jumped up, but a look from Glenn sat her back down. Glenn rubbed his cheek, "We're not here as spies." WHACK! The sergeant back-handed him again, "Stop lying to me!" He moved in to kick the downed Glenn. "Stop." Serge said forcefully. The sergeant stopped from kicking Glenn and walked over to Serge instead, "What?" Serge looked into the sergeant's eyes, "I said to stop." The sergeant narrowed his eyes and brought his hand back. Serge took the blow with ease. He raised an eyebrow at the astonished sergeant. The sergeant tried it again, but this time, Serge dodged it. The sergeant growled and started throwing punches wildly. They all missed. "Stop moving!" The sergeant commanded. Serge dodged another punch. CLICK! The sergeant's gun was pointed at his head. The sergeant smirked and brought his hand back. WHACK!

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There you go! How'd you like it? As I said earlier. That's my last one for a little while. So… Bye!!!

R&R please!

--Ben


	14. Escape

I'm Back!!! YAY!!! Well… Here's the next chapter. I'll give a cookie to anyone can figure out who the mystery woman is. Hah hah… Yeah right. Anyway I don't own Chrono Cross or any of its characters. I _do_ own Ana and Bob. Although… Feel free to use them, just give me the credit.

**Chapter 13: Escape**

There was a small swish as a dark feminine figure ran by a guardhouse. The guard inside didn't even see the woman. The woman was dressed in all black. Her harlequin hat was gone. The woman's jet black hair was tied in a pony tail. The face paint that had formerly covered her face had been washed off and her pale face shone in the moonlight. Her brown eyes shone with anticipation. _Almost there. _The girl thought.

Serge sat in a dark corner in the cell he was staying in. The group of people had been split up and placed in separate cells. Moonlight shone through the window that was at the top of the cell. Serge smirked, he could easily escape through that window even though it had bars in it. Serge could feel the Mastermune's pull on him. It wanted its master. "So, Serge. When are we going to break out of here?" Serge heard Fargo ask from a cell further down the hall. They were the only ones in this hallway. The others were spread out in the building. Serge smiled, "Right now if you wish." There was silence for a second, "Uh... How?" Fargo asked sheepishly. Serge's smile grew as he concentrated on the Mastermune. Shouts of anger and pain started immediately as the Mastermune made anyone who touched it go flying. 

The Mastermune flew through the twists and turns of the building looking for its master. A dozen soldiers followed. Finally, it found Serge's welcoming arms. "Hey! What are you doing?" A Porre lieutenant bellowed at Serge. Serge smirked, "Breaking out." The Mastermune flared and Serge sliced into the bars that prevented his escape. The Mastermune cut through them with ease. The group of soldiers backed up. Serge stepped out of his useless cell and looked at the group of soldiers, "Now. I suggest you let us go." The lieutenant pointed his gun at Serge, "I don't think so." POW! The bullet slowed to a stop in mid air at the thought of Serge. He had once again gained control of time. Serge shuddered at the thought. _The final prophesy..._ He shook it off and concentrated on the matter at hand. He smirked and walked behind the group of frozen soldiers. With a thought, time began again. 

CRACK! The bullet crashed into the stone wall at the other end of the hallway. The soldiers just stared at where their prisoner was just seconds ago. "Behind you." They heard. They all turned at the same time. They found the prisoner standing behind him. Suddenly, he disappeared! "Over here." Behind them! The group of soldiers spun around to find nothing. "Too slow."  They looked around nervously for the man, but he'd be gone by the time they turned around. "Show yourself!" Their lieutenant said forcefully. "Okay." The man appeared in front of them only for a second and then he disappeared again.

Serge laughed in his mind at the frozen soldier's expressions. They were looks of pure terror. Time unfroze and Serge was once again behind them. He spoke, "Can't you figure it out? You can't catch me. It's pointless to try." The lieutenant spun to meet him. Serge stayed put.

The lieutenant raised a shaking gun at Serge. The gun, this time, disappeared. The lieutenant stared at his empty hand and then noticed the escaped prisoner. He was pointing the lieutenant's gun at his head. The lieutenant raised his arms above his head. His soldiers dropped their guns and did the same. 

Serge laughed. It was too easy. He looked at the gun in his hand. _So easy... Just a single twitch..._ Serge smiled evilly. _So easy..._ POW!

Serge's eyes widened and he immediately stopped time. The bullet was just leaving the gun. _What is going on with me?_ _I almost killed him! He's helpless and I almost killed him! Why?_ Kidd's words rang through his head._ "You have fulfilled them all... All that's left are the results..."_ Serge stiffened. _No. That can't be true..._

The lieutenant was tackled to the ground as the bullet whizzed by. At first he thought it was a loyal soldier, but he was surprised to find that the prisoner was the person that saved him. The prisoner disappeared once again and reappeared a few feet away. In his hand were the keys to the prison cells in this hallway. The lieutenant got up and looked at the prisoner in bewilderment, "Who are you?" He asked with fear in his voice. The prisoner smiled sadly, "My name is Serge. I am here to stop an evil madman. I, and the rest of my comrades, am not a spy." The lieutenant just stared, "You can't leave. If we had no reason to prosecute you before, we do now. You tried to kill an officer of Porre. That is reason enough for life in prison. Possibly death." Serge shrugged and disappeared. CLICK! The cell that held Fargo was unlocked. The soldiers reached for their guns, but found that they were gone. Fargo stepped out of the cell and stood beside Serge, "Come on. Let's get out of here." Serge nodded and the two started walking away. "Halt!" The lieutenant ran toward them. FLASH! Before he had even come within ten feet of it, the Mastermune's power made him fly into the bars of a nearby cell. Fargo stopped momentarily in amazement, but Serge kept on moving.

SWISH! The raven-haired girl flew by the last guardhouse before the prison complex. She jumped to the left just in time to avoid a circle of light from a nearby spotlight. She landed silently. WHOO-WHOO-WHOO! A siren pierced the silence. For a second, the girl thought that she had been discovered. But that wasn't the case. The alarm was sounding because of a prisoner breakout. _Serge..._ She thought with a smile.

CLICK! Serge unlocked the cell that held the last of his comrades. Nikki stepped out, "Rockin'!" Serge rolled his eyes and gave Nikki his sword, "Let's go. We don't have much–" WHOO-WHOO-WHOO! Serge cursed and started running toward the exit. The others followed. The steel door was locked down by the time they got there. Serge pounded on the door; Each hit put a dent in it. "Come on! Open!" The group heard the sounds of boots hitting the tile floor. Serge growled and pushed on the door as hard as he could. It didn't budge. "Come on..." He hissed. Nothing. An idea popped into his head. He smiled and pointed his palm at the door. FWOOSH! The handle and most of the door melted. Serge's smile grew and he kicked whatever was left of the door away. The comrades ran out into the prison yard.

CLANG! _There!_ The woman watched as a group of eight ran out of the prison. She recognized all but one of them. _Serge, Glenn, Fargo, Nikki, Miki, Karsh, and... the Dog... But... Who's the other?_ She had no time to think as the eight ran past not even noticing her. A Gatling Gun was pointed at them from the nearest guard tower. FWOOSH! The tower exploded in red flames. The woman looked up just in time to see the outline of a Dragonian. _I don't understand. Dragonians have been extinct for years!_ FWOOSH! Another guard tower burst into flames. This time though, it wasn't by the dragonian. The white flame was from Serge! _What was that?!_ When the flames cleared, the guard tower was completely gone. For some reason, the men that were in it were laying on the ground, seemingly uninjured. POW! POW! POW! Gunshots rang out. The woman looked back to see Porre soldiers pouring out of the prison. FWOOSH! The white flame washed over them. It was so bright that the woman had to look away. When she looked back, the soldiers were still there. Their guns and other weapons were not...

_Almost there!_ Serge thought with hope. THUMP! A bullet buried itself into his shoulder. He cried out and fell to the ground clutching his shoulder. "Serge!" Kidd screamed. "Get out of here!" Serge yelled. Kidd ignored him and ran to his side, "Serge! Are you okay?" Serge winced, "Go! I'll catch up!" Kidd looked at him, "Serge! I'm not leaving you!" Serge looked at Glenn. Glenn caught the hint and grabbed Kidd from behind. "Glenn! Let go!" Glenn swung her over his shoulder and started running toward the faraway tree line. "No! Serge!" Kidd screamed. Glenn kept running. CLICK! Serge looked up into the barrel of a gun. It was the lieutenant. Serge tried to stop time again, but failed. _Come on! Stop!_ Nothing happened. "Now's the time you die." The lieutenant stated. Serge's eyes widened. WHACK! A foot connected squarely in the guard's face. At first Serge thought Kidd had come back, but it was someone else. THUMP! A kick to the guard's stomach now. WHACK! Another kick to his face and the guard fell unconscious. Serge was finally able to get a good look at the person who saved him. It was a woman. She had jet-black hair, brown eyes, and a very pale complexion. There was something vaguely familiar about her. "Hurry, Serge! We don't have much time." She commanded. "How do you know who I am?" Serge asked. The woman grabbed him by the arm and pulled him up, "I'll explain later. First, we have to get out of here."

Serge and the woman ran toward the tree line. Bullets whizzed by as they ran. "Halt!" The two plowed through a group of guards trying to stop them. Serge felt a bullet graze his leg. He clinched his teeth and tried to ignore the pain. The whole time that this was happening, he was trying to stop, or at least slow, time. It was useless. He had lost control of it, for now. FWOOSH! Bob cleared the way for the two. Most of the remaining Porre soldiers scattered. Anyone who didn't...

"Glenn! Let go! We have to help Serge!" The seven ran through the forest at dangerous speeds barely dodging low tree branches and roots in the ground. Sometimes they didn't dodge them at all. "Oof!" Glenn fell to the forest floor, "Kidd! Stop distracting me!" Kidd was finally able to get free and stood up. "We have to go back! Serge needs us!" Kidd said frantically. Glenn stood up, "Serge can take care of himself. He could go into battle _alone_ with the Porre army and come out unscathed. We are going to keep moving. Serge will catch up." Kidd growled, "He was injured! We _have_ to go back!"**_ We can't go back, Kidd._**_ What?! No! We have to!** If we go back, then we'll all surely perish. They have long range weapons. They'd be able to take us all out before we even had a chance to draw our weapons.** But Serge!** Glenn's right. Serge can take care of himself. Don't worry about him.** But I..._ Kidd sighed sadly and said, "Fine. Let's... go. But... If he doesn't make it, it's on your head, Glenn." Glenn nodded sadly. In truth, he wanted to go back also, but he knew that it wasn't possible.

Serge and the woman charged through the large forest. They had just escaped the prison and were being chased by Porre soldiers. They had also lost their cover that came from Bob. Bob couldn't risk burning down the entire forest. THUMP! A bullet was buried into a nearby tree. Serge cursed. The soldiers were getting close. "Through there!" The woman yelled while pointed at a very thick part of the forest. Serge nodded and the two ran into it. "Try not to leave a trail. Move through here as quietly as you can." The woman whispered. "Who _are _you?" Serge asked after pausing. The woman stopped too, "I'll tell you later. First, we have to get out of here." Serge sighed and followed her.

The seven ran out of the forest and into the city of Porre. "Fargo! You, Nikki, and Miki try to get to your ship. See if your crew is still there. If they are, then try to escape the harbor. We're going to head toward Guardia, and after we take out Lynx, then we'll probably need some way of escape." Glenn said. Fargo nodded and he, Nikki, and Miki set off toward the harbor. Glenn sighed and looked back into the forest. He really hoped Serge had gotten out...

Janus looked down at the group of four that stood underneath him. He was standing on the roof of a small building. He was about to announce himself, but he felt something. _Danger..._ He looked at the nearby forest. _He's in danger..._ Janus looked back at his sister and then back to the forest trying to decide what to do. He sighed heavily and a purple mist engulfed him. When the mist was gone, so was he...

Serge and the mysterious woman crept through the forest as fast as they dared to. Every once in a while, they would here the yelling of Porre soldiers, but they thought that they had finally lost them. Finally, they stopped. "Okay." Serge said, "Are you going to tell me who you are now?" The woman smiled, "Yes. I guess it is time…" She hesitated for a moment, "Serge… I am Ha—" The woman was cut off as a large beast crashed through the trees of the forest. It stood on two feet with a huge tail for added balance. It was ten maybe eleven feet tall. It had four gigantic arms. Each hand at the end of the arms had four fingers. At the end of finger were half a foot long claws. It had two heads. There was a large bird-like beak on each head. These beaks also had ripping teeth in them. Last and definitely least, it was covered with bloodstained silver fur. Serge guessed that the bloodstains weren't didn't come from itself. "Crap! What's that?!" Serge asked in bewilderment. "I—I don't know! I've never heard of something like this!"

The beast looked to one person to the other trying to decide whom to annihilate first. It didn't have to think about it very long. THUMP! It felt a small, sharp thing lodge itself into the beast's stomach. It looked down to see a tiny knife sticking out of its midsection. It roared in annoyance more than pain and looked for the person who did that…

Serge watched as the woman pulled another knife out of a belt that was wrapped around her. Why did she seem so familiar? He didn't have much time to ponder this as the beast charged for the woman. "Look out!" He yelled, but it was too late. The beast hit the woman with unbelievable fury. Although it hadn't used its claws, Serge doubted anyone could live through that. Serge ran at the beast. The Mastermune was shining in the darkness. CLANG! Serge backed up in amazement. The Mastermune hadn't even penetrated the beast's skin! The skin was like metal! The beast looked at Serge in annoyance. _How did the knife penetrate its skin?_ Serge thought frantically. WHAM! Serge yelled out as the beast backhanded him. Serge crashed into a tree thirty feet away. Serge got up slowly and looked at the beast. FWOOSH! Holy flame burst from his hand. The flames hit the beast in a bright flash. Serge looked away because of the brightness. There was a smirk on his face, he thought that he had won. When it was dark enough for him to look, he turned to where the beast had stood moments ago. The beast still stood there. Serge's mouth dropped at the sight. _He's unhurt! That's impossible!_ The beast looked at Serge in anger and charged at him…

"Yes! Go! Destroy him! Yes! Hit him!" Lynx in the form of Dark Serge watched a large computer screen in front of him. On this screen was the battle that was taking place deep in the Porre forest. Serge was losing horribly. Lynx focused his attention on the unconscious, but still very much alive, woman. "So… You've decided to betray me…" He focused on another screen. The screen showed Bob flying high above the forest. He was looking for Serge. "You too, my little pet? Heh heh… You'll pay… You'll all pay…"

"Oof!" Serge crashed into a large tree. CRACK! The tree cracked in half and started falling. Serge rolled out of the way just in time to avoid the thick trunk. The trunk barely missed the woman. Minutes before, Serge had been startled to find that the woman was still alive. She was just unconscious. Serge had thought that would be impossible. At least for a small woman like her. WHAM! He yelled out once more as the beast slammed into him. The beast's claws whistled through the air as they flew down toward him. Serge brought the Mastermune up to block them. Thankfully, the weapon was indestructible. If not, that slash would have destroyed him. Serge rolled away. Another hand of claws slammed into the dirt where he had been just a split-second before. Suddenly it dawned on him. _The stomach! That's where she hit it! That's its weak point!_ Serge jumped away from the beast before it could recover. Thankfully, although the beast was huge, it wasn't very intelligent. _Stop!_ Still nothing. _Why can't I stop time anymore? It was working so well earlier!_ Serge dove out of the way as the beast barreled by. _Okay. Next time it does that…_ The beast charged at him again. Serge simply pointed the Mastermune at it. The beast saw this trick and swatted the Mastermune away before it could penetrate its soft midsection. The next thing it swatted away was Serge. WHAM! Serge flew through the air and slid to a stop twenty feet away. The Mastermune was on the other side of the beast. Serge was barely conscious by now. He couldn't concentrate enough to get the holy weapon to come to him. The beast loomed over him…

"Yes! Finish him! Destroy him!" Lynx yelled in glee. "Wait… Who's that?"

Janus walked calmly out of the purple mist and looked at the large beast. The beast hadn't noticed him yet. Janus smirked. FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! Multiple lightning bolts hit the beast. They bolts were much larger than Ana's ever were. The creature roared in annoyance. Janus saw his mistake instantly. _The stomach. That's its weakness. Other than that he seems to be indestructible._ A large spike of ice appeared in front of Janus' outstretched hands.

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There it is! What'd you think? I _hope_ I can get one more chapter up. _Hope_. My day tomorrow is gonna be a busy one and I'm leaving early Thursday morning. So… If I don't get it done by tomorrow night… Sorry!

Thanks for the reviews! Please keep on reviewing!

--Ben


	15. Past Acquaintances

Finally! Sorry 'bout the long wait, I had to get back into 'feel' for writing. If you read my Author's note, you would know that I've also been writing another story that isn't up yet, so that also took up my time. Another reason I took so long was because I was gone for three weeks! I hadn't seen my family in that time and the second week I was home I had a friend form my old hometown staying over. More like my friend's little sister . . . Ugh . . . Anyway, I'm not dead, but actually probably more alive than ever before. Spiritually anyway. Missions Trip to Mexico can do that. Don't know if anybody reading this can actually understand that though. I'm not going to explain it here in this fic, in fact, I'll be doing plenty of that in my next fic, Harvest Moon: Revival in Flowerbud (Tentative title). Anyway, on with the story!

I don't own Chrono Cross or any of its characters. I own Ana and Bob though!

**Chapter 14: Past Acquaintances**

The spike of ice made a sickening sound as it penetrated the stomach of the beast. As if that wasn't enough, wherever the ice hit _also_ turned to ice. Finally, the finishing touch; The ice spread also. Slowly and painfully. Soon the beast itself was merely an ugly ice sculpture. Janus chuckled softly at that thought.

"What?! No! That's not supposed to happen! Who _is_ he, and how did he defeat my _Doomsday_?! It's supposed to be indestructible!" Lynx was fuming. "Master. If it was supposed to be indestructible, why did you leave its stomach defenseless?" Said a cloned dragonian. It was identical to Bob in every way. Lynx thought about this for a moment. _Oh yeah . . .  Now I remember. That was just supposed to be a distraction . . .  Just to frustrate and anger him more. To make him more susceptible to my mind power. . . _Lynx looked to the stiff clone. He considered his options at that moment. _He is pretty sharp for an overgrown lizard. I could probably use him for a general. . . Then again. . . He did make me look like a fool. . . _Lynx's eyes narrowed at the unaware dragonian, "You're pretty smart. I might've been able to use you, but. . . I think I'd rather just dispose of you." The dragonian's eyes widened as a dark cloud enveloped him. He tried to hold his breath for as long as possible, but it was useless. The dark gas didn't need to be breathed, all it needed was physical touch. And with it pressing the dragonian from all sides, it had plenty of it. . . 

Serge moaned quietly. The next thing that moaned was his stomach. He didn't think a person could get hungry if he's dead. Serge's eyes snapped open. All he saw was a dark, starless sky. He heard what sounded like the sound of a fire crackling. He tried to sit up, but immediately wished he hadn't. For as he attempted it, he was attacked by an unbelievable headache. It made even the most serious migraine seem small. At that time, his vision was impaired by the fun thing called tunnel-vision. He laid back down and waited until he could see straight again. When he could, he opted to just turn his head toward the sound of fire instead of getting up to look. There was a dark figure sitting next to a large bonfire. The figure was turned away from Serge, so he couldn't tell who the person was. The long scythe laying on the ground next to the figure gave him away though. "Janus?" Serge asked in bewilderment. The figure turned ever so slightly. It was enough for Serge to recognize him. It_ was_ Janus. Serge slowly sat up again. He eased himself through the headache until, finally, it was gone and he was sitting up. 

His stomach growled again, but he ignored it. "What happened?" He asked. Janus chuckled, "I rescued you. That's what happened. I rescued you from a beast whom I destroyed in two attacks." Serge rolled his eyes. The last thing he needed now was an arrogant Janus. He got it anyway. "I figured that you'd have been able to take that beast easily." Serge sighed deeply, "We were caught off guard, that's–" The word 'we' stopped Serge in his sentence. _The girl! Where is she?_ Serge saw her laying on the other side of the fire. He didn't see any movement. "Is she okay?" He asked in fear of the answer. Janus chuckled, "Always thinking of others aren't you, Chrono Trigger." There was a pause and then he continued, "Yes. She's alright. Just unconscious." Serge breathed a sigh of relief and crawled pitifully over to the fire and next to Janus.

For a few minutes, there was blissful silence. Finally, "So. You want my sister to marry you?" Janus said without looking at Serge. Serge let in a sharp intake of breath, "I . . .  Uh . . .  Well. Yes. I do . . . " Janus looked at the blue-haired teenager, "Well?" Serge sighed deeply, "I don't know. She didn't really answer me. Schala tried to answer for her, but I noticed. I know she loves me and all, but . . . " Janus looked deeply into the fire, "She does love you. She's just afraid to get too close. With the prophesy and all . . . " Serge nodded sadly, "So. There's no stopping it then?"

"Stop what?" Serge jumped and looked to see the girl staring at the two. "Nothing that involves you." Janus said darkly. The woman smirked. Serge's eyes narrowed in thought. _Who is this woman? _As if in answer to his thoughts, "I suppose you'd like to know who I am now." She said. Serge looked at her, "Yeah. That would be _great_." He said with a tone of sarcasm. The woman clicked her tongue in a disapproving manner, "So much more sarcastic then I remember you, Serge. Probably from hanging out with" Then in a different accent, "zat dog." Serge's eyes widened in disbelief, "Harle?!"

Glenn, Kidd, Ana, and Karsh ran through the capital city of Porre in silence. They couldn't risk _anybody_ seeing them. They stopped in the shadows of a building. Glenn poked his head out from the protection of the building and looked around. There was nobody around. He looked back to the people that were awaiting his orders. He nodded and pointed across the street. The others nodded and the four ran across silently. They were so silent that if you had been watching them, you would've thought you had gone deaf. Little did they know that a large group of people _was_ watching them . . .

The four were passing through a long alley when the first person dropped from overhead. The person, he was a young man, landed right in front of Glenn. Glenn just barely stopped in time to avoid slamming into him. The man was dressed in all black; Even his face was covered with black paint. "Get out of our way." Growled Glenn. The man chuckled softly, "Or what?" Glenn unsheathed his two Einlanzers. The man eyed them for a moment and finally backed up. He didn't back up in fear though. He simply backed up so he could take out his gun without worrying about being skewered in the process. THUD! THUD! THUD! Three more people landed on the ground and leveled their guns at the group. They were followed by, at least, another two dozen people. All of them were dressed in black. _Great. We've stumbled upon a Porre gang's territory._ Glenn thought with a grim look on his face. "Now I'm going to give you two choices." The man in black said. Glenn looked at him in fury. "You can fight us and die." At those words, every gun was cocked and ready for use. "Or . . . You can give us your lovely ladies here. Now, the men will die anyway. But . . . The ladies might live just a _little_ bit longer." Glenn's eyes widened as his fury nearly overtook him.

Harle and Serge simply stared at each other. Actually, Serge was doing most of the staring. Harle, on the other hand, had found something else to look at. Janus. Janus simply looked into the blazing fire. For some reason, he wasn't able to meet eye-to-eye with the woman named Harle. "So, what's your name?" She said in a quiet voice. Janus finally looked at her and was about to answer, but he felt something in the back of his mind. _Danger? This time it's Schala!_ He immediately spun to face the bewildered Serge, "Schala's in trouble!" Serge's eyes widened and Harle was momentarily forgotten, "What?! Kidd's in trouble! We have to go!" A purple mist began surrounding Janus. "Come on!" He said. Harle and Serge walked into the purple mist.

The three heard a low whooshing sound and suddenly they were in a long alley. Directly in front of them was a large group of people. The group was surrounding four familiar people. "You can fight us and die. Or you can give us your lovely ladies here. Now, the men will die anyway. But . . . The ladies might live just a _little_ bit longer." Serge's eyes narrowed, "I don't think so!" He yelled loudly enough for all of the people to hear him.

"I don't think so!" Kidd spun around to look for the voice. There were three figures in the alley. One was Janus, the other was a woman that Kidd didn't recognize, and the last . . . _Serge! He's alive!_ Kidd thought with glee. The man in black looked perturbed. "Kill 'em." He ordered. Every person in the entire gang began to pull the triggers to their guns. They didn't have the chance to finish as their guns, _every_ single one, along with some fingers and hands, were suddenly cut in half by some unknown force. Serge suddenly appeared in front of the leader of the group. His eyes widened as Serge took a step closer to him. "Hey! We were jut playing, ya know? We're not really like that!" Serge didn't say anything, but he shook his head. The man backed up some more as Serge grabbed the Mastermune from its spot on the gear on his back. "Come on . . . Don't do this . . . We were just messin' around!" Serge narrowed his eyes. If anyone could see them in this darkness, they would've seen that they were no longer blue, but they were a deep red.   

"Yes! Kill him!" Lynx said in glee as Serge prepared to run the man in black through. "Let your rage take over!" Serge thrust the sharp point of the Mastermune toward the cowering man. Right before it impaled him, a black beam of magic hit the holy weapon. The Mastermune flew out of Serge's hands and crashed against the wall of the alley. "No!" Lynx screamed.

Serge looked at Janus in bewilderment, but he shook his head, indicating that he wasn't the culprit. Harle stepped forward, "It was me." Serge's eyes narrowed in frustration. Harle simply looked at him calmly. In his anger and frustration, Serge didn't notice that the man had escaped along with the rest of his group. "Who's this?" Kidd asked in bewilderment. Serge's hardened heart softened at Kidd's voice and his eyes turned back to a deep blue. "Harle . . ."

Bob finally found his group. They were standing in a dark alley. The girl that he had saved along with Serge and Kidd were arguing about something. Even from the sky, Bob could see the expression of horror written all over Serge's face. Bob went into a steep dive toward the alley. He was so focused on reaching the group that he never saw the attack from above . . .

"Harle?! What?!" Kidd yelled in bewilderment. The others gave similar reactions. Serge winced, "Uh . . . Yep." Kidd glared at Serge, "Harle. You brought Harle here! What were you thinking? Have you forgotten who or what she is?!" Serge winced again, "She saved my life at the prison. She and Bob are the only reasons that I am alive." Kidd's eyes narrowed further. "Where is Bob anyway?" Glenn wondered out loud. No one paid any attention to him.

"Why'd you save him, Harle? We all know that it wasn't for his sake!" Kidd asked with a scowl. Janus and Ana looked at the two in bewilderment. Serge, Glenn, and Karsh looked at the two with a horrified expression. Kidd and Harle simply looked at each other in hatred. "I had come to break you all out of prison! I arrived a little late!" Kidd laughed, "You were probably just there to break _Serge_ out! You couldn't care less about the rest of us!"

Serge had enough, "That's enough!" He bellowed. All arguing stopped and the two women looked at Serge. Silence reigned and for the first time since the prison break, he was reminded that he had been shot. He grimaced and looked at the group. _His_ group. "We're going to move on. Harle, if you are planning on going with us, fine, but if you are planning on leaving us in the middle, then you can leave now." Harle nodded, "I'm going. That is, if that's okay with _her_." Serge held out a hand to stop Kidd from replying with whatever snide remark she had. 

He turned to Janus, "Are you going with us or are you going to meet us at Guardia?" Janus smirked, "I'll go as long as those two don't start arguing again." Serge smiled slightly and turned to Harle and Kidd, "You hear that? No more arguing. Harle," Harle looked at him, "Don't try to start any arguments . . . Especially when it involves me." That got a couple of chuckles from Glenn and Karsh.

Serge turned to Kidd, "The same goes for you." Then in a much quieter voice, he said, "I don't think I could take any more stress." Kidd nodded solemnly. Only she and Janus would know what he meant by that.

"Okay. Does anyone have any healing elements or anything?" Serge asked. "No need." Kidd said as she pressed her palm to Serge's shoulder. Serge turned back to the rest of the group, "Let's go."

Lynx chuckled in glee as four of his minions returned from their mission. Bound in chains made of rainbow shell and unconscious was Bob. "Ahh . . . You succeeded in you mission. You four will be promoted. Now. Leave." The four Dragonians left the room. Lynx looked at the unconscious form of Bob. "One down; six more to go." Lynx's laughter echoed throughout the room.

"Don't fight! Just run!" Serge yelled. Behind the party were scores of Porre soldiers and some civilians. A barrier of ice shot up from the group in front of the horde of Porre, and temporarily stopped them. Serge smiled at Ana and she laughed. Her laughter was cut short as the crowd of people broke through the barrier and began the chase again. This time it was Janus' turn to show off his magic. A black fog formed around the crowd. When it cleared, the people were all laying on the ground. Serge looked at Janus in bewilderment. Janus smirked, and as he ran, he said, "They're just paralyzed. They'll be back up in an hour. That should give us plenty of time." Serge smiled and nodded.

Serge saw the edge of the city and the beginning of the ravaged land once called Guardia. "Almost there!"

The group of seven ran for miles after they reached the end of Porre. They ran until the city was just a spot on the horizon.

Finally, they stopped. "We'll stop here for now." The others agreed except for Janus. He was just silent. "Kidd. You and I will go and find some food. The rest of you will go and find some firewood." Serge said. The group did as they were told. All that was left was Serge and Kidd. "Let's go." Kidd nodded and the two set out.

"So. Who exactly is Harle?" Ana asked Glenn. They were walking in a small forest looking for firewood. "She used to be one of Lynx's minions. More specifically, she's the Dark Moon Dragon in human form." Ana soaked all of this in, "So . . . I understand that she used to be one of Lynx's minions, but why is everybody so tense around her? You all don't act that way around Bob." Glenn sighed, "First of all, she was so mysterious. I, regrettably, wasn't with Serge at the time he was in Lynx's body. I had been brainwashed. But, from what I've heard, Harle had helped Serge and some old weirdo named Sprigg get back into the real world. From there, she stayed with them while they were defeating the dragons and getting the dragon emblems. After that, she disappeared until we defeated FATE. She had tried to warn us about the Time Devourer, but we didn't listen. After that, she wasn't seen again until now." Ana nodded, "So . . . Why doesn't _Kidd_ like her." Glenn laughed, "Partly because Harle was such a pain to her. Calling her a dog and just plainly looking down on her. But I think mainly it was because Harle had a huge crush on Serge. Ever since the first time she saw him, Harle was after Serge's heart. Kidd hated her for it." Ana looked thoughtful, "I wonder if she still likes him . . ."

_Yes . . . I do still like him . . . _Harle thought solemnly. _But  . . . I lost him. Kidd won his heart once and for all. I have no chance now._ She was peering through a bush and watching Glenn and Ana talk. "It doesn't matter. I don't think she's going to try anything anyway. I think she knows that she's beat." Harle sighed and walked away from the two. She had no reason to listen anymore.

She walked through the forest slowly. Pausing every once in awhile to pick up some twigs and tree bark. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't see the dark figure in front of her before she ran into him. The figure was hardly affected by her, but she fell to the ground. The figure eyed her in curiosity. Harle recognized him as the man named Janus. "Watch out!" She barked. Janus simply chuckled, "You are the one that ran into me. Not the other way around." As he was talking, the sticks and twigs that Harle had dropped floated up and stopped in front of Harle. Harle stared at the firewood in amazement and looked at Janus. He had his hand outstretched and pointing at the sticks. Harle gathered the sticks back into her arms and Janus brought his arm back down to his side. "That's as close to an apology you're going to get." Despite herself, Harle blushed slightly. _He is kind of cute . . ._ Harle shook it off, "Thanks." She did one of her trademark back flips and disappeared leaving a chuckling Janus alone in the forest.

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There. Are you happy with it? I hope it was worth the wait. Anyway, I don't know if I'll be able get a chapter a day anymore. I'm going to try, but there are _no_ guarantees. Mexico changed the way I look at a lot of things. Like this fic for example. I still love it, but I know that in the big picture, it won't matter. It's not going to change any lives. That's why I'm writing my other fic. To proclaim the Good News about Jesus Christ (Oh no! I'm unconstitutional!!!) in a way that will, hopefully, appeal to the people on this site. I hope I don't get taken down or something because of that . . . Oh well. I'd just post it again under a different name.

Anyway. As always, please review!


	16. The NotSoFinal Fight

Finally! Here's Chapter 15. A semi-quick fight between Lynx and Serge for all of you who want Lynx back in the picture. I've been trying to add him in a lot more if you haven't noticed. And yes, I am leaning toward a Harle/Janus relationship. Heh heh heh . . .

I don't own Chrono Cross or any of its characters. I just own Ana, Bob, any other Dragonians(not the name though), and this story. Feel free to use the characters though. I only want credit for them. Don't copy my story though.

**Chapter 15: The Not-So-Final Fight**

Kidd and Serge walked in silence while looking for something to eat. In the distance there was a large animal. It had six tree trunk-like legs. Its skin was thick and gray with large, tan spots. It had a head similar to that of a wild boar. With a pig-like snout and two tusks jutting out from its mouth, the resemblance was unmistakable. Kidd pointed at it, "What about that one, mate? It would make a good meal." Serge looked at it for a second and sighed, "I don't know. I'm still really tired." Kidd laughed, "The great Chrono Trigger. Tired! Can't handle it, Serge?" Serge rolled his eyes and grinned, "Fine. Let's do it." Kidd grinned, and the two companions started running quietly toward the beast.

"So, Ana. How are you feeling? I mean this is _your_ country." Ana sighed, "This isn't a country anymore. Now it's just a wilderness. Period." She said sadly. Glenn put an arm around her. Ana sighed again. "I wonder how Kidd feels about this place. She has a lot of memories of here too."

"Hah! That was a piece of cake! I actually thought that would be a challenge!" Serge sat down on the ground and breathed heavily, "Speak for yourself. You couldn't do much other than get a few lucky jabs in. _I_ was the one doing the hard work, like getting thrown thirty feet back and nearly getting trampled. _You_ weren't even targeted! Not even once! The beast went after me and me only!" Kidd scoffed, "Aww... Did wittle Serge get a boo-boo?" Serge growled softly. Kidd laughed loudly, "Come on, mate! He wasn't _that_ hard! We took it out in less than five minutes!" It was Serge's turn to scoff, "It seems a lot longer to the person that getting attacked. It felt more like five _hours_." Kidd rolled her eyes, "Oh, stop being such a baby." Serge sighed, "So. How are we going to get this thing back? It's huge!" Kidd thought about it for a moment, "I . . . Uh . . . I don't know." Serge groaned. "I guess I'm gonna go get some help. Are you going to be able to stay here?" Kidd nodded, "I can take care of myself. I did it for eleven years and I think that I can do it for another hour." Serge smiled, "I'll be back as soon as possible." He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. At that time Kidd was nearly ready to say, 'I do' but he was gone before she could even entertain that thought. _He's really mastering time. He can stop it on a will . . ._ She thought sadly.

Lynx chuckled loudly, "You shouldn't have left her alone, Chrono Trigger. It isn't safe . . ." His chuckling turned to laughter as the same four Dragonians that brought him Bob set off to capture the next person on the list . . .

"I need your help. Kidd and I found some type of animal and killed it. The problem is, it's too big for Kidd and I to carry back." Serge looked at the three in front of the large bonfire that had been made. They were Glenn, Karsh, and Ana. Janus was off patrolling the area and Harle was mysteriously floating in the air about ten feet away. Glenn stood up, "Okay, but we have to hurry. I'm _starving_. I don't know when we had our last meal." Serge smirked, "We had one this morning." Ana laughed and Glenn sighed. "I wonder if Fargo and everybody got out . . ." Glenn said finally.

The four Dragonians flew through a large window and stood before Lynx. In one of their arms was an unconscious Kidd. "Good . . . Well done, now leave." The four left, but not before laying Kidd on the floor. Lynx walked over to the unconscious Kidd. He grabbed her prism dagger. "Ahh . . . I remember _this_ weapon." Kidd groaned slightly and her eyelids slowly lifted. "Serge?" She said weakly. Lynx laughed, "No. I'm not _Serge_." Kidd's face paled. "What? Not happy to see me?"

"Kidd! Where are you?!" Serge was getting frantic. "Serge! Calm down, nature probably just called her. She'll be back in a few minutes." Serge knew that Glenn was probably right, but something just didn't feel right. His suspicions were confirmed seconds later. "Serge! Look!" Ana said while pointing at an indentation in the ground. It was a large footprint. Not from the beast that they had slain, but from something else. Serge inspected it and his face turned white. "What is it, Serge?" Glenn asked. Serge stiffened, "I–It's a dragonian footprint. Lynx has her." 

Janus grabbed Serge by the shoulders, "How could you leave her alone?" Tears streamed down Serge's sweat-matted face. "We're leaving. Now." The only person who didn't object was Janus. "What do you mean, 'we're leaving'? We're in no position to continue yet! We need rest! How are we supposed to fight Lynx if we're asleep?!" Serge ignored Glenn and turned to Ana, "Which direction is the castle?" Ana pointed northwest. "It's that way, but Glenn's right. We can't hope to fight Lynx in our conditions!" Serge ignored her, "I'm going. With or without you." Suddenly, Serge disappeared as if he had never been there. "Wha–? How did he–?" Karsh stuttered in astonishment. Janus groaned, "He's going to get himself killed." A purple mist began floating up form the ground. He turned to the rest of the group, "Are you coming?" Glenn sighed, "Give us a couple of minutes to get our stuff ready." Janus nodded curtly, "Fine. I'll warp us to the camp."  Glenn, Ana, and Karsh stood beside Janus. They looked at the still floating Harle. She shook her head, "I'm going now. I don't have anything back at the camp." Janus nodded, "Fine."

The purple mist engulfed the four people and Harle was left alone. She sighed, "I hope they find and bring my knives . . ." She did a back flip and disappeared.

Lynx cackled at the sight of Kidd. She had been chained to the wall. There were cuts and bruises all over her face from the beating that he had given her. Lynx looked at the dagger in his hand, "Do you remember this, Kidd? Do you remember how I said that I'd finish you later? I think later is _now_." Kidd's eyes widened as Lynx slowly walked toward her. "When you are gone, Serge will be mine. He'll never be able to resist my mind control. He will be my _slave_." Kidd struggled in her chains, "He'll never let you control him! He will _kill_ you, Lynx!" Lynx laughed, "I think not." Kidd struggled some more. Lynx got within two feet from her thrashing body. He brought his arm with the dagger back and prepared to stab her in the stomach.

He was never given the chance as he was suddenly slammed into the large computer screen that he had been observing Serge and his group with. In fact, he flew straight _through_ the screen and crashed into the stone wall behind it. He left a large indentation in it. He angrily looked through the hole in the computer screen and saw a sweating and utterly furious Serge standing there._ How did he get here so fast? They were at least a day's journey away!_

Serge grabbed the chains that held Kidd and ripped them out of the wall with ease. He walked over to the computer screen that Lynx had flown through and through the hole. He didn't see him anywhere. WHAM! Booted feet hit him in the side and he flew straight through a window. "Serge!" Kidd screamed.

Lynx chuckled and walked up to the window. He peered out and saw nothing. "That takes care of that." He turned back to Kidd, "Now for _you_." FWOOSH! A pillar of white flame flew at Lynx with impossible speed. He just barely dodged it. "What the–?" He stopped when he saw Serge standing at the far side of the room, hands outstretched. "Oh, I see. You've learned a new move. Let me show _you_ something."

The torches that lit the room suddenly went out. The room went dark. Kidd could just hardly see the two men. In the darkness, Kidd couldn't even distinguish the two from one another. If they used the same magic that is. "Meet me," A shadow-like illusion of Lynx appeared next to him, "and me." Another appeared on his other side. "Don't start thinking that these can't hurt you. They _are_ real. I'm sure you remember facing one before." Serge growled, "I remember beating it with ease." Lynx chuckled, "Oh, I'm sure that you'll find these _much_ harder than that one."

The two shadows disappeared and reappeared behind Serge. Each of them had a scythe. They swung the weapons at him, but he was no longer there. Instead, he was directly in front of the real Lynx. Lynx blinked like an owl. Serge punched him in his nose as hard as the angry nineteen-year-old boy could. It sent Lynx all the way back to the wall. Lynx was temporarily stunned and Serge took that time to finish off the shadows. FWOOSH! It was done.

FWOOSH! The holy flame ran over Kidd and when Serge had finished, the chains that were still on her had disappeared. She rubbed her wrists, "Thanks." Serge nodded and turned back to Lynx. He was no longer there, but his voice was. "Until we meet again, Chrono Trigger!" Then there was silence. Serge growled and slammed his hand against the brick wall. The wall exploded inward revealing another room. He looked at his hand in amazement. His thoughts were cut off as Kidd yelled, "Bob!" Serge looked up into the room and saw Bob chained to the wall. He wasn't breathing.

Serge and Kidd ran to their fallen comrade. Serge knelt down beside the dragonian and tried to listen for a heartbeat or a breath.  There was nothing. "It's too late. He's gone." Serge whirled around to face the voice. Harle stood at the entrance of the room. Serge sighed and looked at the floor, "I know . . ." He turned back to his deceased friend, "I never thanked you for saving us back there, Bob. So . . . Thanks." He stood and looked at Kidd, "Are you okay? Did he . . .?" Kidd shook her head, "I'm fine, and no, he didn't do that again." Serge sighed in relief, "I'm sorry . . . I should have never left you . . ." Kidd scoffed, "Oh, stop it. You had no idea that he'd try something like that." Serge sighed, "I know, but–." Kidd pressed her lips against his to silence him. When she pulled back, she winked at him, "I'm fine! See?" Serge smiled and nodded, "Okay. If you say so."

Serge turned to Harle, "Where are the others?" Harle shrugged, "They said that they would be getting the stuff from the camp and warping over here with the help of Janus. They'll be here any minute." As if on cue, purple mist began to float up from the ground. "In fact, here they are now." Harle said with a smirk.

"So. There's some Zealand prophesy that says that you are going to be the destruction of the world?" Glenn asked. Serge sighed and nodded, "Yes. And it seems to be . . . true. I _do_ have power over time. That's how I seemed to warp here. I stopped time." Glenn shook his head, "No. I refuse to believe that you will destroy the world. Powers or not, it's still your choice." Serge sighed, "I hope you're right, Glenn. I truly do . . ." Silence reigned as Serge looked at his now _six_ comrades. They were seated on dusty, but plush, red carpet in a large room. Ana told them that this had once been the throne room. Finally, Serge spoke again, "But . . . and I've already spoken to Janus about this, if . . . this prophesy _do_es come true–" Ana jumped up, "That can't come true! It just can't happen, Serge!" Glenn grabbed her arm and pulled her down. A lump formed in Serge's throat.

He looked at Kidd just in time to see a tear fall from her face and hit the carpet. His heart broke right then. _I just can't let that happen. I just can't!_ He cleared his throat, "As I was saying." He looked apologetically at Ana, "If this does happen . . ." The lump in his throat grew. The thing he was asking them to do . . . "Well . . . I don't want to be responsible for the destruction of the world. So . . . If it comes to it. I want you to destroy any chance of . . . _it_ happening." It was only a second before the group understood what he was asking. Collective gasps and astonished looks ensued. "I . . . I know that this will be hard for you. But . . ." Kidd's and his eyes met, "it has to be done." Kidd looked away; She didn't want to let Serge see her crying. Not now when she had to be strong.

"So. What do we do now? We have no idea where Lynx is." Glenn asked. Serge shrugged, "I don't really know. You're right, we don't have any clues on where he is." Harle cleared her throat, "I think I know where he is." All eyes were on her. "I think he may have gone back to the Sea of Eden. Chronopolis." Serge grinned, "You're right. Where else can he go?" Serge waited to see if any of the others would say anything. They didn't say anything. "Okay. We'll leave whenever Fargo gets here." Harle cleared her throat again. Serge looked at her puzzled. She sighed, "We can't just go barging into Chronopolis." Serge waited for the reason why. "Last time, he underestimated you. You have to understand, Lynx has all kind of weapons and magic augmenters." She looked at Serge, "Including a special helmet that increases his mind-control." Serge let in a sharp intake of breath. "I don't think we'll be able to defeat him using our weapons. We'll have to use magic. I know that some of you can already use magic, but you three," She indicated Glenn, Karsh, and Kidd, "will be wiped out if you don't learn magic." Kidd got angry and was about to argue, but Serge gave her a look. "Harle's right. Ana," Ana looked at him, "Yeah, Serge?"

"Didn't you say that you knew of someone that could teach us magic?" Ana grinned, "Yeah. Melchior. That is . . . if he still lives around here." Janus put his head in his hands, "Not that old coot . . . Is he still alive?" Schala took control of Kidd's features for a moment so she could glare at her brother. Ana laughed, "I hope so. He'd be pretty old now, but I think so. He told me once that Zealands often lived a lot longer than 'earth-bounds'." Janus shook his head, "Unfortunately in some cases." Kidd/Schala glared at him again. Janus sighed, "Fine. When do we leave?" Serge smiled, "We leave now." A purple mist began to come up from the carpet.

The familiar purple mist swallowed the group of seven. A few minutes later, the party found themselves at the bottom of an incline. "It's right over that hill." Ana said.

Serge was the first to the reach the top of the hill. What he saw made him lose all hope. All that was left of the house of Melchior was a pile of rubble. Kidd was right behind him, "Oh Goddess . . . Melchior . . ." Serge turned to Ana, "What do we do now?" Ana smiled, "We'll go see if he's home."

"What do you mean, 'We'll go see if he's home'? There is no _home_ left!" Kidd said with confusion. Ana rolled her eyes, "You didn't actually expect Porre to leave his house _standing_, did you? They destroyed all standing buildings, except for the castle, during the war. He has a secret underground basement. It's nearly impossible to find. Most likely, he's living _there_." Janus scoffed, "Most likely, he died a while ago." The other six ignored him. "Let's go." Serge ordered.

"Now, where is that trap door? It was right around here somewhere." Ana moved some of the rubble around, but she couldn't find anything. She sighed, "Melchior? Uncle Melchior? I know that you can hear me!" She pointed to a tiny light that was flashing red. On further inspection, Serge saw that it was a tiny microphone. "Aha! I found it!" She pointed at the wooden floor. "What? There's nothing there!" Kidd stated. Ana smirked, "I told you that it was nearly impossible to find. It wasn't until Serge got within inches of the floor could he see the outline of the trap door. "How are we supposed to open that? It's not like we can pull it open." Ana chuckled, "Of course not!" She pointed to another trap door. It was maybe small enough for a hand. She pressed down on it slightly and then it opened with a mechanical whir. Inside was a small computer screen. Serge had seen one of these before at Chronopolis. It was a hand-print reader.

Ana pressed her hand onto the hand-print reader. When she pulled away, there was a bright green hand print of hers on the screen. Then it faded. When that happened, there was a loud whirring sound and the other trap door pulled back to reveal an iron staircase leading into the ground. "Amazing. Simply amazing." Glenn said in astonishment. Ana looked at him and winked. "Wait until you meet Uncle Melchior. He'll blow you away."

Serge's steel-toed boots clicked loudly as the group walked deeper into Gaia's crust. Ana was in the front, followed closely by Glenn, Serge, Kidd, Karsh, Harle, and finally, Janus. The trapdoor closed behind them and the seven were plunged into darkness . . .

With a small _fwoosh_, a small ball of fire appeared and floated just inches above Janus's hand. Serge grinned at the man. If Janus smiled back, Serge didn't know. There were too many shadows. Although, Serge had a feeling that Janus did nothing of the sort.

"Uncle Melchior! Are you here?" Ana called. No answer. _I hope he's okay._ Ana thought to herself. The others, minus Janus, looked in awe at the contraptions and items around them. Most of them, they had never even seen the likes of before. Something familiar caught Serge's eye. It was a teleporter, identical to the one Kidd had given him on his adventures. "Hey, Kidd." Kidd turned to him, "Yeah, mate?" Serge smiled at the accent. He had always loved that accent. "Do you remember the teleporter?" She nodded. "Where'd you get it?" Kidd smiled sadly, " Sis gave it to me. I gave it to you because I figured that we might need it sometime. Ya know, just in case we had to do something that we couldn't bring a large group into." Serge grinned, "Like infiltrating a large manor and trying to assassinate a large cat." Kidd nodded with a smile, "Exactly."

The others had been mostly ignoring their conversation. Their attention was elsewhere . . .

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I'm sorry about killing off Bob. I had to do it. I was hardly ever using him and he was WAY too powerful to keep too long. There can't be too many ultra-powerful people in one group, right? Anyway, I wanted to get the group number down to seven anyway. It's CT's number. J 

Until next time, in about two minutes because I've also finished Chapter 16, R&R!

--Ben


	17. Stories

Ahh . . . Finally. Chapter 16. Hmm . . . Don't have much to say, so . . .

I don't own CC or any of its characters. In other words, Blah blah blah. I own Ana, the Dragonians including the deceased Bob, and the story. That's about it . . . Oh yeah! I own the multiple Porre soldiers that were in the past chapters!

**Chapter 16: Stories**

Glenn looked down into the barrel of a large gun. His hands slowly rose. "Hey, guys. What's going–" Kidd trailed off as she saw the group's precarious position. There was a man–he looked as if he was really old–, dressed in a Porre uniform, holding a weird-looking gun to Glenn's face.

"All right. Who are you? What are you doing here?" He asked sternly. _How did you find this place?_ The man thought. Serge–hands outstretched–stepped forward. "Take it easy. We were just looking for someone."

The Mastermune started glowing slightly. When the man saw the glowing weapon, he nearly dropped the gun. He gasped and his eyes widened, "Masamune . . ." Serge narrowed his eyes and the weapon glowed brighter. "Who are you? How do you know about the Mastermune?" Ana jumped in, "and where's Melchior?" The man's head snapped back and he stared at Ana. "Melchior . . . _I_ am the man known as Melchior."

After Melchior shed his stolen Porre uniform, Serge saw that he wore an old, tattered robe. Its, once, bright colors were now almost completely faded. He was balding, and what hair he had was white. He wore thick-rimmed tinted gray glasses. "So . . . Who are you kids, and how did you know about this place?" Ana stood up and walked toward the old man. "Do you recognize me? Do I look familiar?" Melchior looked at her closely, "I'm sorry. My memory is not what it used to be." Ana sighed, "How about anyone else in this group? _Anybody_ familiar?" For the first time since the group of teenagers arrived, Melchior actually studied them. He passed over the blue-haired teenager. _Never seen him before._ He also passed over the blonde girl next to him. The same went for the dark-haired girl, the brown-haired man, the purple-haired man. He gasped sharply when he saw the final man. His hair was a graying blue color. His teeth were sharp. He wore a black cape. His gray eyes seemed to penetrate Melchior. "Janus . . ."

"Janus! Is that you?!" Janus smirked at Melchior's reaction. Melchior looked like he either wanted to give Janus a big hug or run away screaming. Neither appealed to Janus. Although, the former would be good for some laughs. If Janus actually had a sense of humor, he might have tried the scare Melchior. Instead, he just nodded curtly.

  


Melchior accepted it and turned back to Ana. "Okay. Who are you and your friends? How do you know Janus?" Ana grinned, "I am Ana Cage." Melchior's eyes widened. "The daughter of Crono and Marle Cage. Princess of the fallen nation, Guardia." Melchior said nothing for many moments. Finally, he managed to squeak, "A–Ana?" Ana smiled. This time, Melchior actually _did_ give her a big hug. "Little Ana! I've thought you were dead for years! After the incident with your parents, you simply disappeared. Everybody thought . . ." He trailed off. "Yes. I'm sure everybody worried about me, but I was young. I didn't know what I was doing. After Lynx took my parents–"

"What?! He _took_ your parents?" Ana looked at the confused Kidd. "Yes. He took them." Kidd simply stared at her, "I thought you said that he killed them!" Ana nodded, "That's what everybody figured. I mean, they haven't been seen for thirteen years." Kidd nodded slowly, "Okay. I guess you're right. It's just that . . . Lucca . . ."

Melchior looked at Kidd in astonishment. "Who _are_ you?" Kidd smiled, "The name's Kidd." Melchior looked at her, "Kidd? Wait . . . I think I remember a Kidd at Lucca's orphanage. Is that you?" Kidd grinned, "The one and the only!" Melchior smiled. He had plenty of reason to. People he had thought long dead had suddenly come back into his life! He had no idea of what was going to come next . . .

"That's not _all_ who I am though." Kidd stated with a mischievous smirk. Melchior looked at her questionably. "I'm also someone from much farther back in your life, Melchior. Thousands of years in fact." Kidd had let Schala begin talking. "Back when the great country, _Zeal_, was still around." Melchior's eyes widened. How did _she_ know of Zeal? He didn't think Lucca told them about the fallen country. Kidd/Schala saw the confusion in Melchior's eyes and sighed, "Imagine me with bluish-purple hair." Melchior tried to. He really did, and now that he looked at her closely, she looked familiar, but he just couldn't place her face. Janus groaned, "Schala, would you hurry up?"

Schala/Kidd spun around to glare at Janus, "You just spoiled the surprise!" Janus chuckled, "I think he's still surprised."

Melchior's eyes began tearing as soon as he heard the name, Schala. He wiped away some of the tears and asked, "Schala? Is that you?" Kidd/Schala turned back to him. Memories of the beautiful youth, Schala, flooded his mind. He could recognize her now. He saw it in her eyes, face, and build. This girl _was_ Schala! "Yes, Melchior. It is I, Princess Schala 'Kidd' Zeal."

Melchior felt faint. His normally rosy cheeks turned pale. This was _impossible_! It had to be! He enveloped Schala in a big hug. Salty tears ran down his face now, but he didn't care. This was _Schala_! Schala was like a _daughter_ to him! He loved Schala more than the rest of the kingdom of Zeal! And after many, many years of thinking that she had been lost forever, she was _here_! Alive! He vaguely noticed that Schala was crying too. "Schala, I've missed you so much! I thought you were gone forever!" He said after the two pulled apart. Schala smiled, "I have missed you also, Melchior."

  


The old man smiled brightly and he looked once again at the group that she had come with. Some of them, the purple and brown-haired men mainly, were trying to give Melchior and Schala their private time. Ana was beaming with happiness. The black-haired girl had no readable look upon her features. Janus just looked bored. But out of all of them, the blue-haired teenage boy was the one who intrigued Melchior the most. He was watching Schala like a hawk. His eyes never left her. This, at first, made Melchior slightly uneasy for Schala's sake, but when he saw the man's expression, he relaxed. The boy's expression was one of love. "Schala, please introduce your friends to me. I'm eager to meet the ones who have been doing such a good job protecting you." Kidd resurfaced, "_Protect_? No. I haven't needed protection for many years. These people . . . well, most of them," She stole a glance at Harle. Harle looked away. "Fought beside me." Melchior chuckled, "Oh yes. Of course. I knew that."

Kidd/Schala smiled brightly, "Anyway. This guy," She indicated Glenn, "Is Glenn. Leader of the four Divas in El Nido." Glenn stepped forward and shook Melchior's hand. "Nice to meet you." He said.

"He's Karsh." She said while pointing at him, "He's one of the Divas." She looked at Harle and scowled, "And this–" Schala stopped her from continuing. Kidd sighed, "_Girl_ is Harle." She was about to continue about Harle, but, once again, she was stopped.

She turned to Serge. The look that he gave her nearly melted her heart. Melchior could see that the love the boy felt toward her was mutual. "And this is my–" She stopped to ponder what she was about to say. Finally, she cleared her throat, "This is Serge." 

Kidd's words stung Serge. Why couldn't she just say 'boyfriend' or whatever she was going to say? Serge let it go when he heard her next words, "He's probably the only one here that puts it in his job description to protect me. He's been there for me through thick and thin. He and his swallow have saved me more times my fingers and toes put together." Serge smiled slightly, that wasn't an overstatement. If anything, it was an _under_statement.

Melchior walked over to Serge and shook his hand, "Well. I guess I should thank you for keeping Kidd safe." Serge simply smiled and nodded. Melchior smiled back. "I like your hair." He commented. Serge's smiled turned into a grim expression. "Melchior, we need to talk." Kidd stated.

"It all started on a beach called Opassa just outside the village, Arni. I was talking with one of my best friends there when I suddenly heard a voice calling my name." Serge explained, "Seconds later, I saw a large wave getting ready to crash upon the shore. At first, I thought nothing of it. It was just a wave, but as it got closer, I saw that it wasn't a normal wave. For example, instead of getting smaller as it came closer to shore, it got bigger and bigger. I looked at my friend, her name's Leena, but she acted like she didn't even see it! Then all of a sudden, some kind of portal opened up underneath me and I fell through it. I blacked out.

  


"When I woke up, I was still on Opassa Beach. The only problem was the fact that nobody seemed to remember me! Not even Leena! I was even told that 'I' had died ten years before! So I went up to Cape Howl, the place that I had been told 'my' grave was. I found it there, all right. At that time, Karsh and two idiots, known as Salt and Peppor, showed up telling me that a demi-human, known as Lynx, wanted to see me, and that they had been charged to come and detain me. That's when Kidd showed up. We fought them and _defeated_ them." He gave Karsh a smirk, and Karsh groaned loudly, "Are you ever going to give that up?"

Serge laughed and turned back to Melchior. "Anyway, to make a long story short, we traveled to Termina and, finally, Viper Manor. We wanted to know why I had been nearly arrested. Kidd was going there for another reason though. She was planning on stealing the Frozen Flame." Melchior raised an eyebrow at the blushing Kidd/Schala. She groaned, "That was before I melded with Kidd, Melchior." Melchior looked confused and she sighed, "I'll tell you later." Melchior frowned, shrugged, and turned back to Serge.

"Anyway, we met a man named Belthezar." Melchior's eyes widened, "Belthezar?" Kidd nodded, "Yeah. _That_ Belthezar." Melchior sat back heavily. Yet another person that he thought dead had reappeared.

Serge cleared his throat, "He told me that I had been teleported to an alternate universe. A universe where I had died ten years before through drowning. After that, we went to fight Lynx. Kidd had a score to settle with him, and I was just going along for the ride.

"We beat him, but then we found out that we had only beaten a shadow-form of his true self. He, along with half of the Dragoon army, chased us up to the main balcony of Viper Manor. Then he threw a poison-tipped knife at Kidd. It had the rare poison, Hydra Poison, on it. It hit her, and she fell off of the edge. Luckily, she landed in the ocean instead of the rocks near it. She wouldn't have lived otherwise. Anyway, that is when he called me the 'Chrono Trigger'." Melchior let in a sharp gasp. "C–Chrono Trigger?" Serge nodded, "That's right. I'm the new Chrono Trigger. Schala will explain later when she tells you _her_ part of the story." Melchior sighed. He had so many questions. He wanted them answered now, but he couldn't. Serge had already started speaking again, "Lynx offered me a chance to live. He wanted me to join him in ruling the world or something like that. I, being a stubborn teenager, refused and jumped off after Kidd. Our other team member, Nikki, jumped off after me. I don't know how, but we survived."

"So we went to Chronopolis and defeated FATE. We thought we had destroyed him, but he escaped without us knowing it." Glenn cleared his throat, "Serge. How is Fargo going to know where we are? We left him no notice." Serge sighed, "I'm not sure . . ." Janus grunted, "I already know magic. I can keep watch." Harle sighed, "So do I. I volunteer also." Serge grinned, "Okay. That's settled."

  


"So then Serge, Kidd, and Glenn came and destroyed the Time Devourer via the Chrono Cross. There I made the decision to repair the broken universes and bring them together again. I knew that I couldn't do it in the state that I was in though. I was too weak from being bonded to the Time Devourer for so long. So I merged with Kidd, she was my 'daughter' anyway." Kidd was glad that Schala didn't use the word 'clone'.

"Sadly, to repair the worlds, I had to separate the group and erase their memories. But . . . Somehow–I think it has something to do with his being the Chrono Trigger–, Serge still remembered, somewhat. His memory, though, was only of the most important parts of the journey, and he thought it was just a weird dream."

Melchior nodded, "That's possible."

Schala smiled, "Yes. Anyway, I, with the help of Kidd, repaired the worlds by combining the best of them together. After that, Kidd wanted to fulfill her promise to Serge. That she would find him no matter what." Kidd/Schala blushed slightly and Melchior chuckled.

"So we entered the world again and sought out to find Serge. Sadly, Lynx found us first and held us hostage. Using my power, I reached out to Serge, but I was unable to do anything except give him a few strange visions and happenings. So, finally, I reached out to Doreen and told her everything. From there, Doreen awakened Masa and Mune and they helped Serge remember."

"So I went to rescue Kidd and I succeeded. I ran Lynx off again and then found our companion, Bob, dead. That's when the others arrived." Serge and Schala had been leaving out the fact about the prophesy and his power. They wanted to talk to Melchior about that in private. "Then we decided to come here in hopes of you being able to teach us magic. I already know some and Schala knows some healing magic, but Kidd, Glenn, and Karsh want to learn it. I'd like to learn more." Melchior smiled a warm smile, "Well, you came to the right place. I, of the three Great Prophets of Zeal, can teach magic. The others couldn't."

"Well . . . Kidd. You are a strange one. I can sense Schala's magic in you, but I can also sense something else. Hmm . . . Ahh. I see. You will be a fire mage." Kidd smirked, "I could've told you that. That's my innate." Melchior shook his head, "No . . . An element innate is nothing like a magic innate. Sometimes you could be a certain innate using elements and then end up being the opposite with magic." Kidd nodded.

Melchior turned to Glenn, "Hmm . . . You are a water user. Just by thinking it, when you learn how that is, you could create towering tidal waves or make water shoot up from the ground as long as there is actually water beneath you." Glenn nodded. "Got it."

Melchior moved to Karsh. He studied him for a moment. "Hmm . . . You seem to be an ice wielder. Using ice is different than water. There doesn't need to be any ice anywhere around you to use it."

  


Finally, he moved to Serge. Although Serge already knew magic, Melchior insisted on him being examined.

Melchior looked deep into Serge's eyes looking for his magic type. The results were not, at all, what Melchior would've expected.

"I don't understand. That's impossible!" Serge waited for Melchior to tell him what was so impossible. "You can use more than one magic type!" Ana stepped forward, "Sure it's possible. I can, can't I?" Melchior shook his head, "Yes, I can understand the rare double-type, but this is different! He seems to be able to use _all_ of them! Including some types that I've never seen before. Before, it was thought that there were only five magic elements. Fire, Water/Ice, Lightning, Darkness, and finally Light or Holy. But there is more in Serge. He can use magic like wind and earth! Magic that was thought to have never existed!" There was a stunned silence for a moment.

The moment to turned into minutes until, finally, "So . . . How do we use magic?" It was Glenn.

Melchior, being glad that the subject had been changed, replied, "Well . . . Remember how I told you that I could teach you magic? Well, I can, but we have to do something else first." The group waited. Melchior smiled, "We have to go see a good friend of mine. His name is Spekkio. He'll make it so you can actually _use_ the magic. From there, I will attune your skills."

"Okay. So where is this Spekkio?" Kidd asked. Melchior sighed, "I don't really know. Last I heard, he was in a place called the 'End of Time'." Serge's eyes widened, "End of Time?" Melchior nodded. Serge snapped his fingers, "I've been there! There's an entrance in El Nido!" Melchior smiled, "Great! We can go as soon as your friends arrive!"

"What are we going to tell Melchior?" Serge asked Kidd in a low voice. She sighed, "I don't know . . . Did you know that he was actually one of the men who prophesied that?" Serge's breath came sharp, "No. I didn't know that." Kidd sighed again, "Should we even tell him?" Serge paused for a moment thinking the proposition over. Finally, "No. He might be able to help."

Janus watched the ocean like a hawk. He was anxious to leave and stop this Lynx. In his mind, he still had to make up for the hundreds maybe even thousands that he had killed during his life. Yes. It was true. The great Magus, the leader of the monstrous race of Mystics. The one who even dared to do human and animal splicing and thus creating demi-human race. That Magus was going soft.

He was no longer known as Magus though, but as Janus, his childhood name. Changing his name back was his way of turning from his old lifestyle. Turning a new leaf, becoming a new man, and other allegations as such.

  


Harle watched Janus from afar. He was so mysterious. The most mysterious person she had ever met. The only person who came close was that Guile character that she had met in Termina. _But his mysteriousness doesn't even contend with Janus's._ Harle thought.

Something in the ocean caught Janus's eye. A purple mist engulfed him and he reappeared behind the confused Harle. "You were watching me." He stated.

Harle fumbled for words. _What is with me? Why does he make me so tongue-tied? I'm never like that! Not even when I was around Serge!_ "I . . . Uh . . ." Janus waved it off, "They're here." Harle turned to look at the ocean. Sure enough, in the distance was the S.S. Invincible . . .

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There you have it! Chapter 16! How'd ya like it? Was it good? Bad? Ugly?! I'd like to know ya know! So . . . R&R! _Please_! Uh . . . Now that I've finished my groveling session, I'll tell you what's to come in future chapters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I don't know. I haven't figured it out yet. ;-)

--Ben


	18. Ghost Town

Here's Chapter 17!!! It's my longest yet, nearly nine pages. Maybe not much compared to the other big fics, but that a lot to my barely seven-page chapters. Anyway. It might be my most emotional chapters yet. _Maybe_. It was slow for me at first, but nearing the end, I couldn't stop. Thanks for the reviews! Now read!

Disclaimer: Blah blah blah . . . You know the drill . . .

**Chapter 17: Ghost Town**

"I was wondering if you guys were all right!" Glenn said with a smile. Fargo laughed a hearty laugh, "Of course! We forgot the crew, so we had to go back and get 'em!" The group laughed. They, including Melchior, were all on the great ship, Invincible. "Why don't you introduce us?" Nikki asked while indicating the three people that he didn't know. Melchior stepped forward, "The name's Melchior. Nice to meet you." They shook hands. "My name's Nikki. This is my wife, Miki." Fargo cleared his throat, "And I'm Fargo, father of this sorry excuse for a sailor." Melchior grinned. "This is Janus." Serge said indicating Janus. Nikki stuck a hand out to be shaken, but Janus ignored it. Nikki retracted his hand. He stepped up close to Serge's ear and whispered, "You pick up some strange people, Serge." Serge chuckled, "And she . . ." He indicated Harle, "Is a person that you already know." Nikki looked at him in puzzlement, "Huh?" Harle rolled her eyes, "You may recognize me with white face paint. I'm Harle." Nikki looked at Serge. Serge nodded. Nikki sighed, "Yep. You sure do . . ." He said quietly.

Serge watched as the sun set slowly across the ocean. They would be nearing the El Nido Canyon soon. They had decided against risking the trip through at night, so they would be stopping when they got there.

Serge looked to his right and he smiled. Harle and Janus were doing the same as Serge. Serge could see Harle's mouth moving, indicating that she was talking. Janus, on the other hand, was being silent. _Janus and Harle . . . Who would have thought?_

He looked behind himself and saw Glenn showing off his sword skills to Ana. Ana yawned and giggled at the mock hurt look that Glenn had given her.

_I wonder where Kidd is . . . _Serge thought to himself. He decided to go look for her.

He was walking through the hallways of the ship when he stopped by Melchior's door. He had heard something. He pressed his ear to the wooden door and listened. The was silence for a few moments and then Serge heard a small sound. It sounded kind of like a sob or cry. It sounded kind of like _Kidd's_ sob or cry.

Serge knocked lightly on the door. There was the sound of a chair scraping against the ground and then heavy footfalls. The door creaked open and Melchior peered out of it. "Hi, sorry to bother you, but do you know where Kidd is?" Serge asked. Melchior hesitated, but then someone called out from behind the old man. "I'm in here, Serge!" Melchior immediately covered up his hesitation with a cheery grin and opened the door wider so Serge could come in.

Kidd was sitting in a chair on the other side of the room facing away from the door. Serge could see that she was trying to wipe away any evidence of her crying. The door shut softly behind him and Melchior said, "We were just talking about you, Serge."

"I guess you've heard about the Prophesy already." Melchior said. Serge sighed and nodded. Melchior looked at Serge hair and sighed, "That's not dyed hair, is it?" Serge shook his head. Melchior took off his tinted glasses. He had deep blue eyes similar to Serge's. "Serge, I want you to tell me everything."

And Serge did. He told Melchior everything from when he first gained control over time to when fought Lynx the last time. "Serge, could you show me?" Melchior asked. All of a sudden, Serge simply disappeared from the chair he had been sitting in. "Behind you." Melchior spun around and Serge stood behind him. Serge disappeared again and then appeared sitting on his chair again.

Melchior sighed heavily, "I don't know what to say. The prophecy specifically states that the man would be the destruction of the planet." Serge frowned, "That shouldn't matter! We took out FATE, temporarily anyway. Why should it still happen?" Melchior sighed again, "Fate is different than destiny. Although most people don't believe so." Serge stood up, "No way! I don't believe that!" Melchior indicated for Serge to sit down.

Serge sat heavily. "Fate is decided by the decisions that you make in your life. Destiny, on the other hand, is decided long before any of us were born. It is unavoidable." Melchior said softly.

Serge put his head in his hands and groaned. "Is there anyway for the prophecy to be wrong?" Melchior sighed. "If only one person had it, I'd say that it was possible. But _many_ Zealands had this prophesy, including _me_! I don't think it's going to be wrong." Serge groaned again, "Is there anyway to stop it?" Melchior thought about it for a moment and then looked toward the ground. "Yes . . . There is a way. But . . . It'd have to be your . . . your . . ." Serge finished for him, "Death." Melchior looked up and nodded.

"No!" Kidd suddenly said. "I'm not going to sit by and watch you die, Serge! I . . . I can't!" A lump formed in Serge's throat as he looked at Kidd. Tears were flowing freely from her eyes.

Serge turned back to Melchior, "There has to be another way. There _has_ to be. You Zealands may be big on prophecies and such, but not me. I believe in free choice. I believe that if I don't want to destroy the world, I _won't_." Melchior smiled sadly, "I hope you are right, Serge. I truly do."

"So, Janus. I've told you all about me. Why don't you tell me a little about yourself?" Janus rolled his eyes. _Does this woman ever shut up?_ He thought to himself. He didn't answer. "Come on! It's only fair!"

Serge chuckled lightly as he saw the two. Janus looked genuinely annoyed. He decided to spare Janus the torture and called out, "Janus! What do you say we do a little sparring? It'll be good practice!"

Janus spun around to look at Serge and nodded. He walked over to the young Chrono Trigger. "Fine. But it will be a real fight. I don't do _sparring_." Serge smiled, "Okay, but no magic. We can't afford tearing up Fargo's boat." Janus nodded and his scythe materialized in his hands. Serge simply grabbed the Mastermune off of its place on his back.

The two went into their respective stances and stared each other down while waiting for the other to make a move. Finally, Serge made his move, _Dash and Slash_.

Serge ran at Janus with amazing speed. Possibly faster than he had ever done it before. No normal human being would've been able to dodge that. Janus simply sidestepped it and Serge ran past him. Janus thrust backward with the pole of his scythe and it connected with Serge's back. Serge fell to the deck in a heap. Janus turned around to face the dazed Serge. The only problem was, Serge was _not_ dazed. CLANG! The blade of the scythe met the magic blade of the Mastermune. The force of Serge's attack nearly sent the scythe flying out of Janus's hands. _Is that the Mastermune enhancing his power, or . . ._ Janus didn't finish that thought as Serge was on the offensive. CLANG! THUNK! The pole that belonged to the Mastermune hit the scythe's pole.     Janus was forced back a few feet. _If only he'd let me recover, I'd be able to put up a better fight!_ Janus did a quick back flip away from Serge. There was about ten feet in between them. Serge closed that distance in less than a second, but that was all Janus needed . . .

Serge noticed the change in Janus's attacks immediately. At first, the fight looked to be in Serge's favor, but now it was fairly even. THUNK! CLANG!

Melchior watched the two people fighting. It was mesmerizing.      Even Crono had never fought with the raw speed and power that Serge had. The only reason that Janus could possibly keep up was because he had become a lot more experienced over the years. CLANG!

Janus growled as his scythe nearly flew out of his hands again. He began forcing Serge back some. It was a brutal game. Serge would push Janus back and the other way around. On one hand, Janus was happy to do this. He would need the practice against Serge if he ever actually had to fight him for real. Janus was afraid though. He was afraid that Serge was not giving it his all. While Janus was already sweating, Serge wasn't even breathing heavily. If Janus could hear his heartbeat, he knew that it was probably even and not fast as Janus's was. THUNK! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Serge sped up some. He saw no reason not to. He wasn't even breaking a sweat! In fact, he was in the mood to impress Kidd, who was watching closely. He wasn't about to start attacking Janus at his full strength. That would be just plain mean! CLANG! THUNK!

Janus was tiring fast. His fears had been proven right. Serge wasn't giving it his all. It was easily seen when Serge sped up by a lot. But Janus had to wonder: How much more did Serge have to give?

CLANG! The scythe flew out of Janus's hands and hit the wooden deck with a thud. Janus's eyes widened. Serge simply smiled, "I–" He was cut off as he was hit by a wave of dark energy from Janus. Serge flew back and slid across the polished deck. That distraction was all Janus needed to get his scythe and turn around to face Serge again.

Serge growled softly as he stared at Janus. _He cheated!_ Suddenly, Serge got an idea . . .

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! The Mastermune was a complete blur now. THUNK! THUNK! Janus couldn't believe it! He knew that Serge was reserving some of his power, but he had no idea that Serge was _this_ powerful!

The Mastermune was glowing brightly by now. At the speed it was going and in the light of dusk, it looked like a big ball of light, Melchior noted. Suddenly it was over. The first blade of the Mastermune had cut cleanly through the blade of the scythe and the trailing end of the holy weapon cut the staff part of the scythe in half.

Janus let the scythe drop. It was useless now. He looked at Serge in amazement. _Now_ Serge was breathing hard. He strapped the Mastermune to its place on his gear and smiled at Janus. "That's what you get when you cheat."

There was complete silence as Serge walked below deck toward the showers.

"We're home, boys and girls!" Fargo yelled with a laugh. They had just made it through the canyon and were on their way toward the ruins of Termina.

"They've really begun to rebuild." Serge noted as they pulled into the harbor. Many homes had been rebuilt and others were almost done. Glenn was practically beaming at their progress in rebuilding the town. In the distance, he could see Viper Manor. Although there wasn't much to look at the moment, Glenn could easily see the progress. 

The gathered people of Termina cheered loudly as Glenn and Karsh stepped off of the S.S. Invincible. The other Divas were there to greet them as were Dario and Riddle.

Glenn hugged Dario. "So, how did it go?" Dario asked. Glenn sighed, "Lynx got away again. Although we did meet some new and old friends." Dario looked at him, "Who?" Glenn pointed at Melchior, "That's Melchior, and she" He pointed at Harle, "is Harle. I don't know if you ever met her." Dario thought about it for a moment, "I heard about her, but I don't think I've ever met her."

"So. What next? We need to get to the End of Time. How about Fargo?" Glenn asked from his side of the table. The seven plus Dario, the rest Serge shook his head, "Fargo lost a lot of crew members while breaking them out of the prison. He has to notify their families and such." The group nodded in understanding. "What do we do then?" Serge thought about it for a moment. "We'll go to Arni."

"So, Mate. Remind me again, why we're going to Arni?" Kidd asked Serge. Serge grinned, "We need a boat don't we? Arni's a fishing town. Where else will we be able to find a good boat? Would you rather have taken one of Fargo's lifeboats and _rowed_ all the way there?" Kidd looked at him. She knew that there was something else. She just _knew_ it. "Well?" She asked patiently. Serge sighed, "You know me too well, Kidd. I also want to get on better terms with Leena. We've been best friends since longer than I can remember. I don't want that to be ruined." Kidd nodded and smiled. "Okay then. Let's hurry."

Serge laughed when he saw Melchior. The entire group had thought that Melchior would slow them down, because he was, well, old. They were wrong. Instead, he was running up ahead, carrying half the luggage, and encouraging the others to speed up. "Come on! Hurry up! We don't have forever!" Glenn walked beside Serge, "How is it possible that someone of _his_ age can have so much energy? I didn't think that it was possible!" Serge just laughed.

As the group traversed through Fossil Valley, they were attacked by more werewolves, but the beasts were taken care of, quickly, thanks to Serge.

Melchior looked at Serge after he had done his amazing _Holy Fire_, which is what Serge had decided to call it, magic attack. "Wha–what was that?" He asked hesitantly. Serge looked at him, "It's . . . uh . . . what I like to call _Holy Fire_. It's a . . . new white magic attack that I . . . learned." Melchior simply stared at Serge, "I've never seen something so powerful! And the way you controlled it! Amazing!" Suddenly a thought crossed Melchior's mind. _If he's that powerful already . . . If he becomes evil . . . we're doomed._

When Arni came into view, Serge began speeding up. _I can't wait to see everybody! I bet mom's _wor–. He suddenly stopped. _No. She can't be worried . . . She's gone. Killed by Lynx._ "Serge. What's the holdup?" Glenn asked. Serge frowned, "I was just . . . thinking." Serge's eyes had once again turned red as anger filled his mind . . .

Harle watched in confusion at Serge. _His eyes . . . They were red . . . Like Lynx's are when ever he gets angry . . . Serge . . . What's happening to you?_

When the group arrived at Arni, they were astounded about what they saw. Or what they _didn't_ see. There was nobody around. Not_ anybody_. Not a single person was in the small fishing village.

"Hello? Anybody here?" Serge called out. No answer. He walked to the docks. Most of the boats were still there. Maybe only one or two missing. Not nearly enough to take the whole village.

The group split up to look for signs of life. Or death. 

Serge walked into the village café. There was a single person sitting on a bar stool in a shadowy corner. _Yes! Finally somebody can tell me what's going on!_ "Excuse me? What's going on around here? Where is everybody?" The person gave no answer.

Serge walked toward the shadowy figure. As he got closer, he could see that the person was actually a man. Serge couldn't see his face though, for the man was looking downward. Serge could, on the other hand, see the boy's hair. It was blue. _Blue?!_ Serge's mind screamed at himself. "Lynx . . ."

The man stood up and looked at Serge. Serge stumbled backward when he saw the man's face. "D–Dad?" He asked in bewilderment.

Wazuki looked at his son. "Hello, son. Haven't seen you in a while. How have you been? Where's your mother?" Serge couldn't speak for many moments until, finally, "Dad? Is that really you?"

Wazuki smiled warmly. "Yes, of course it's me, Serge! Now, where's your mother?!" He asked calmly. Serge shrunk back in fear. "She's . . . gone." Wazuki calmed. "Where did she go?" Serge fought back tears, "She's . . . dead." Strangely enough, Wazuki wasn't angry or sad. In fact, he looked disappointed. Disappointed in Serge.

"Why weren't you there to protect her, Serge?" Serge's eyes widened, "I couldn't be! I had to rescue Kidd!" Wazuki stepped toward Serge. "Why weren't you there?" Serge took a step back. "I couldn't be!" FLASH! Serge's mother appeared to his left, "Why weren't you there to protect me? Why were you gone when I _needed_ you? I might still be alive if you had been there, Serge!" Serge eyes widened and he shook his head, "No. It's not my fault!" Serge was still stepping backward. "Yes, it _is_ your fault, _dear_." Leena had materialized to his right. "If you hadn't gone to be with your precious _Kidd_, she would still be here. In fact, we would _all_ still be here! Where were you when we needed you, Serge?"

"Where were you when they needed you?" Wazuki echoed. "We needed you, and you were _gone_!" His mother said forcefully."Serge." Serge spun around and his eyes met Kidd's. "Where were you when I was getting kidnaped by Lynx, Serge?" Serge's eyes widened, "I was–" Kidd interrupted him, "You weren't there!" Serge shook his head, "No. You're all right now. It all worked out." Kidd laughed, "You're wrong, Serge. Bob. Is. Dead! He needed you and you failed him! I needed you when Lynx kidnaped me the first time! I needed you when he was _raping_ me!" Serge felt like he had been punched. "No . . . I didn't know! I didn't remember!"

"Where were you when Viper needed you? Where were you when those soldiers that _didn't have a chance_ needed you? How about when Ana was getting attacked by the Lagoonates?"

"Glenn saved her! She's fine!" Kidd let go another terrifying laugh. "I know where _Glenn_ was. I'm asking where were _you_?!" The four tormentors surrounded serge now.

"Where were you when Arni needed you?" Serge's mother asked. Glenn appeared. "Where were you when Termina needed you?" Serge's covered his ears, but it was useless. He couldn't block their voices. "Where were you when Lucca needed you? It's your fault she's dead, you know. If you had gotten there faster, she would still be _alive_!"

"No!!!" Serge suddenly yelled. His agonizing scream pierced the five people surrounding him and they shattered like glass. The entire café shattered in brilliant colors. Serge fell to one knee while trying to catch his breathe.

The teenager soon became aware of his surroundings. He was in a room of the S.S. Invincible. In front of him was Kidd sitting on her bed. Serge knew this scene. It was the time when he– "Will you . . . Would you . . . Marry me?" Kidd looked at him in bewilderment. _What is this? Why am I getting shown this?_ Serge asked himself. "I–I mean . . ." Serge sighed. He remembered this event like yesterday. He knew exactly what would happen. Then, "No." Serge's eyes widened, "Wha–What?!" Kidd smiled an evil smile, "No. I won't marry you."

Serge's breaths were short and ragged. "Why would I marry you, Serge? It's not like I love you or anything." Serge shook his head, "But you said–"

"I said that so you wouldn't kill me. Why in Gaia would I love _you_, Serge? After you've failed so many people? Why would I love a failure?" Wazuki, Marge, Leena, and Glenn appeared again chanting the same thing over and over, "Failure. Failure. Failure." Kidd joined in. "Failure. Failure! Failure!" The chant had become louder. Bob appeared and chanted loudly in his course voice, "Failure! Failure! Failure!" A person whom Serge guessed was Lucca appeared, "Failure! Failure! Failure!" Serge covered his ears. "No! Please, stop!" The people were practically screaming it now. "FAILURE! FAILURE! FAILURE!"

"Please! STOP!" The screams continued. "I'm not a failure!" Serge was drowned out by the voices now. "FAILURE! FAILURE! FAILURE!"

The floor dropped out from under Serge and he fell and fell into darkness. Above, he could see Kidd looking down at him. Although he couldn't hear her, he could see her mouthing, "Failure. Failure. Failure."

"NO!!!" SPLASH! Serge fell into water.

Kidd shot up from where she was dozing and looked toward Serge. He had just yelled, "NO!!!", and now he was sitting up and weeping. Kidd ran to him. As she ran, she noticed it was raining.

"Serge! What's wrong?" She asked frantically as she sat down in a puddle of mud next to Serge. Serge suddenly jerked away from Kidd and stared at her in fear. Finally, after many awkward moments, recognition shown in his eyes. He started weeping again and Kidd enveloped him in a hug. "Shh . . . It's okay, Serge."

Finally, after many minutes, Serge pulled away from Kidd. "What happened?" Kidd sighed, "You blacked out awhile ago. You had stopped and Glenn asked you what was taking so long. Then we started walking again and then you simply blacked out." Serge absorbed all of this.

"Kidd. I have a question." Kidd looked at him. "Do you blame me for what happened at Fort Dragonia? With Lynx, I mean." Kidd's eyes widened, "Do I– Of course not, Serge! Why in the world would I blame you?"

Serge told Kidd about his dream, which nearly put him in tears again. "None of that's true! None of us blame you! It's not your fault!" Kidd said. Serge sighed, he knew she was right, but . . . "Did you . . . did you mean it when you said that you loved me?" Kidd's eyes widened, "What?! Of course I did, Serge!"

Serge sighed, "Why didn't you . . . answer me when I asked?" Kidd looked at Serge, surprised at the question. "Why did I . . ." She realized what he was asking. "I . . . I don't know. I–I was scared." Serge looked deep into her eyes. "Are you still scared?"

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Hahahaha!!! Aren't I evil? CLIFFHANGER! Heheheheh . . . Anyway, keep up the reviews! Whoo! 17 chapters, one prologue, and_ no_ flames or bad reviews!


	19. Free Time

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!! Uh . . . Sorry. I was just laughing at how dangerously close I came to flames because of that cliffhanger . . . Hahaha . . . Anyway. Here it is!

I don't own CC or its characters . . . I wish I did . . .

**Chapter 18: Free Time**

The group entered Arni drenched with water. While this may have annoyed most of them, it didn't bother Serge or Kidd. No sir, they were too excited to be bothered by a little rain.

_She said YES! Kidd. Said. YES! I can't believe it!_ Serge thought to himself. He had a spring in his step when he walked into the small village. Not even the sight of the still crippled village did anything to hinder his joyous attitude.

Glenn looked at Serge in confusion. A little while ago, before Serge had collapsed, he had been in an almost depressed mood. Now it looked like he was about ready to jump! The only time he had ever seen somebody else this joyful was when Riddle accepted Dario's hand . . . in marriage . . . _By the goddess. Kidd said yes!_ Glenn simply stopped walking in surprise at the revelation. He looked at Kidd. Although she was quite a bit more reserved than Serge, Glenn could see the joy in her eyes.

"Glenn? Why did you stop?" Ana asked. With wide eyes, Glenn looked at her. "She said yes." Ana looked at Glenn quizzically. "What? Who said yes and to what?" Glenn grinned, "Kidd said yes! Serge and Kidd are _engaged_!" Ana was speechless.

"What's up with those two?" Harle asked Janus. She had been hanging around him ever since the S.S. Invincible. She didn't know why, but she was attracted to him. Possibly more than she ever was with Serge.

  


Janus didn't answer for many moments. Harle sighed and stood in front of Janus trying to stop him. Janus simply walked straight through her as if he was just some hologram from Chronopolis. Harle growled. _I hate it when he does that._ She grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "Don't just ignore me!" Janus simply looked down at Harle. Finally, "If I tell you, will you let go?" Harle smiled and let go of his arm. Janus sighed, "Serge and Kidd are to be married." Strangely enough, the news didn't hurt Harle like she thought it would.

"SERGE! YOU'RE BACK!" Leena, who worked part-time at the café, practically screamed when Serge stepped into the restaurant. Serge ignored her while scanning the place. There were no other blue-haired men in there except him and Janus. Serge sighed in relief.

"Yes, Leena. I'm back. So, where's everybody?" He asked indicating the near-empty café. Leena frowned, "That's all I get? Just a 'Yeah, Leena. I'm back'! After what you've done to me?" Serge looked apologetically to Janus. He, then, looked apologetically at the other villagers in the café. "Uh . . . Leena, can we talk about this outside?" Leena got angrier. "Outside? _Outside_?! In the _rain_?!" _She's lost it._ Serge thought. Serge sighed, and walked toward the backroom of the restaurant.

"How could you do this to me, Serge? Did all of the things we did together, all of the moments we shared, matter at _all_? Instead, you run off with some girl you just met!" Serge sighed. If she was acting like this _before_ he told her the big news, how would she act _after_? "Well, technically, Kidd and I have known each other for more than two years. And to your first question, of course all of that matters! I _love_ you, Leena. Just . . . not like that . . . anymore. But I _do_ love Kidd that way! That's why I had to go rescue her in the first place. It's why I 'ran off' with her." _Here I go . . ._ "It's why . . . we're getting married."

Leena couldn't speak. She was too hurt. If there ever was a point in her life where she was the lowest, this was it.

Finally, she managed to whisper, "How . . . could you?" Then she promptly slapped him and ran out of the backroom and then the café in tears.

 Serge sat down in a chair across the table where Janus was. He felt the lack of sleep he had been suffering in his body. He groaned and put his head in his hands. All the while, Janus looked at him with an amused expression on his face.

"I take it, she didn't enjoy the news?" Serge looked up at him. "What news?" He asked playing dumb. Janus rolled his eyes, "About you and Sch–Kidd. Everybody knows about it by now." Serge was silent for a moment and then laughed, "Actually, she took it better than I thought." Janus was silent.

A waitress that Serge had never seen before passed nearby and Serge stopped her. "Hey, what's going on? Where is everybody?" The girl looked annoyed. "It's the annual Fishing Festival, stupid. What did you expect?" Serge groaned, "Great . . . Now we'll have to wait until the end before we can get out of here." Janus looked at him quizzically. Serge explained, "Everybody who has a boat attends this festival. If the boat owners decide not to, then they'll rent their boats out to people who don't have one. They often stay out for a week or two. I didn't they would still have it in light of the storm. I guess I was wrong."

  


Leena ran through the grassy road of Arni. She was heading to her house._ It's ironic,_ She thought glumly. _whenever I'd be emotional like this, I'd go to Serge. But now, when Serge's the one who hurt me, I'm alone._

Karsh smiled when he saw that it had stopped raining. He looked at the rest of the resting group that he was traveling with. Janus and Serge had gone out to look for people and the rest of them had decided to rest under the empty shelter that the people of Arni had built. Karsh was bored now though. _I'll go for a walk._

Leena kept on running. She wasn't even looking where she was going anymore. She was too busy trying to shield her depressed face from the rare villager. WHAM!

Leena crashed into a purple-haired man. "Hey! Watch it!" She said while taking her anger out on this stranger. The man simply blinked in confusion. "Uh . . . I'm–" Leena stormed into her house before the man could even answer.

Karsh simply stood there dumbfounded. _What just happened?_ He wondered. After a few minutes, who the girl was registered in his mind. _That was Leena, wasn't it. I wonder what got her so upset._

"Janus . . ." Serge said ominously. Janus looked at him. Serge sighed, "I want you to know . . . that just because Kidd and I . . . Well, it just doesn't change anything. If I become evil in any way, whether I'm being controlled or not, I want you t–"

"I understand." Janus cut in. Serge smiled sadly, "Thanks."

"Annual Fishing Festival, eh?" Lynx was once again watching the group via a large computer screen. He laughed, "Back in a _week_ or two? I'm afraid that you'll be sorely disappointed, my young Chrono Trigger."

Days passed and the group was getting bored. "Serge? Why can't we just _make_ another boat like we did before? Wouldn't that be easier?" Ana asked. Serge smiled. "It'd be faster, yes, but we've all gone through so much lately. I think that we need to rest for now. I bet that we're going to need rest for the training that we're gonna be doing to learn magic." Melchior laughed, "Actually, there's nothing to it. It doesn't take long to master magic. It's not like using a weapon or anything."

A week passed and now the eight were on the lookout for the fishermen and women. They'd be getting back soon.

Karsh walked around aimlessly. It was yet another beautiful day in Arni and Karsh had nothing to do. Karsh sighed. _I almost wish my Ax wasn't made of rainbow shell. At least when it was made of metal, I could spend my time sharpening it. Now that it is indestructible, I can't do anything with it._

_This is it._ Leena thought sadly. _This is the day I start anew. I'm getting out of this place. Away from the worrying, babysitting, memories, and most of all, Serge._ Leena stepped out of her house with multiple bags in her hands.

  


Karsh heard a door slam shut and he looked toward the sound. From his distance, he couldn't see who had stepped out of the house. What he _could_ see was the fiery, red hair. _There's a cute red-head._ He thought with a smile. _Time to introduce myself._

Karsh walked a little bit closer until he could see who the girl was. _That's . . . Leena! Why's she carrying all of those bags?_

Leena saw him approaching. It was that purple-haired man that Serge had been traveling with. He was the man that she had bumped into a week before. She no time to think about this though, because as she walked down the steps that led down from her front door, she tripped.

_Crap!_ Karsh thought as he saw Leena fall. He ran forward to help her.

Leena closed her eyes and braised for the painful impact on the wooden steps and, eventually, the ground. It never came. She kept her eyes closed for a few more moments until she someone else breathing heavily.

Leena looked up and stared into the eyes of the purple-haired man. It took a few moments for it to register in her mind that he had caught her.

The man let Leena down onto her feet softly. She was about to thank her when she noticed that her suitcases were all on the ground. Most of them, as old and tattered as they were, had opened and the contents had spilled out. Leena groaned and then cursed loudly. She kicked one of the unopened bags and it flew open spilling more clothes and personal items. "No . . ." Leena fell to her knees ignoring the sharp pain.

Karsh felt bad for Leena. She was just sitting there crying her eyes out, and Karsh wasn't doing _anything_. He didn't know _what_ to do. He had never been the helpful type in that way. "Hey . . . uh . . . don't cry. They can always be washed." He said pitifully.

Leena stopped crying and was silent for a moment. Then she laughed harshly. "Wash them? _Wash_ them?! How stupid are you?" Karsh winced. _ I guess that's not what she was crying about._ He thought to himself. "Sorry." He mumbled.

Leena sighed, "No, _I'm _sorry. I shouldn't have snapped like that." She smiled weekly and Karsh grinned. "Okay! Now that that's settled, I have to ask. What are you doing with the bags?"

Leena was silent for a few moments. "I . . . I'm leaving." Karsh didn't get it, "What, you visiting a relative or something?" Leena rolled her eyes. "No. I'm leaving . . . for good." Karsh was silent, until, finally, "Oh . . . where do you plan to go?" Leena sighed, "To Termina." Karsh stared at her. Didn't she know that Termina was . . .

  


"There aren't any boats around. You're not planning on walking, are you?" Leena nodded. Karsh's eyes widened, "What?! You can't possibly go through Fossil Valley!" Leena put her hands on her hips, "And why not?" Karsh grimaced as he remembered almost being skewered by a werewolf. "When was the last time you went through there?" Leena thought about it for a moment, "I dunno, maybe a few months ago?" Karsh sighed, "In the last month or so, Fossil Valley has changed drastically. It's way too dangerous for you to go, _especially_ while carrying all those bags."

Leena was fuming. How _dare_ he tell _her_ what she can and what she can't do. Karsh saw that she was getting mad, "_I _wouldn't even go through there alone anymore." It wasn't a lie, "There are these weird wolf-like creatures there. The only reason we passed through there to get here was because Serge. If he wasn't there, we'd be dead."

"Wait . . . why would you be dead without Serge?" Karsh sighed, "I . . . uh . . . It's kinda hard to explain." Leena smirked, "Fine. I'm still planning on going." Karsh's eyes widened, "What?!" Leena nodded. "But . . . but . . . where will you stay?" Leena hadn't thought about that. "I . . . I have a friend named Lisa who lives there. She own's the Element shop. I can probably stay with her until I get my own place." Karsh sighed sadly, "Lisa's shop is a pile of rubble now. So is nearly the entire city." Leena's eyes widened, "Wha–what? Termina's . . . destroyed?"

Karsh sighed, "It all started nearly a month ago. Termina was attacked, unprovoked, by a huge dragon. The dragon was, or I thought that it was at that time, the most powerful beast I had ever seen. This dragon _killed_ General Viper." Leena nodded, "I heard about that. But I only heard that the dragon had destroyed the manor." Karsh shook his head, "It also killed many soldiers and civilians inside the manor and out. But anyway, the Divas–Glenn, Marcy, Zoah, and I– wouldn't–"

"You're one of the Divas?" Karsh held up a hand. Leena fell silent. "Anyway, we couldn't hope to destroy the dragon alone. That's when Serge showed up. To make a long story short, he wiped out the dragon." Leena's eyes widened, "Alone? Serge couldn't do that!" Karsh grinned, "That's nothing compared to what he does later." Leena was silent.

"So, anyway, after explanations and stuff, Termina is attacked _again_ by hordes of monsters. I mean, hundreds, _thousands_, of them. We were able to beat them, but at a cost. Termina was in ruins." Leena was stunned, "I . . . had no idea. What were you saying about Serge doing more?" Karsh grinned wider . . .

"So . . . what Serge was saying about your adventures is . . . true?" Leena asked. Karsh nodded, "Every bit of it." Leena was silent for many minutes. "So, are you still planning on leaving?" Silence. Karsh sighed and got up, "Well. Think about it. And . . . wait 'til you can get a boat to Termina. The valley's _way_ too dangerous." He started walking away. "Wait!" Leena got up and chased after him, "I have more questions!"

  


Karsh crossed his arms, "Answer mine first." Leena scowled and then sighed, "I don't know . . . If there's no place to go in Termina, then I'm stuck." Karsh smiled warmly, "Not that I'm saying you shouldn't move there. I'm just suggesting that you wait until it's livable. At least wait until you can get a boat ride." Leena smiled and nodded.

"Remember! Bring a few back alive! I want to _torture_ Serge with their deaths!" Lynx laughed as an _army_ of Dragonians flapped away.

Beads of sweat dripped down the dark-skinned fisherman's face as he tried to haul up the large swordfish onto his small boat. He had been fighting this one for many minutes by now, and he was tiring fast. He could only hope that the fish felt the same way.

_SNAP!_ The fishing pole snapped in half and the fisherman flew back against the side of his boat. He unleashed a volley of various curse words from many languages. He _had_ studied exotic languages at Termina University after all. Why not use them?

A shadow passed over his boat. He looked up and saw the silhouette of some type of flying lizard. The man's eyes widened in fear as he saw the _hundreds_ of flying lizards behind the first one. "What the–" _FWOOSH!_

"So, who is Kidd?" Karsh smiled, "Well . . . I'd better let Serge or Kidd tell you that." Leena frowned, "I don't wish to speak with either of them." Karsh groaned inwardly, then he got an idea. "I have a better idea. Follow me."

"I told you that I don't want to talk to her!" Leena snarled in Karsh's ear. She said it loud enough for Kidd to hear though. "What do you want, Karsh?" Karsh grinned, "Somebody needs their memory returned." Kidd rolled her eyes and Schala took over. "I'm not going to do it if she's not going to cooperate." Leena looked from Karsh to Kidd and back again, "What are you talking about?" Karsh grinned, "Remember how you came to accept that Serge's adventures were real?" Leena nodded slowly. "Well. I don't know if he ever told you this, but you participated in them too." Leena looked at him like he was insane, "Are you crazy? I did nothing of the sort!"

"Would you like proof?" Kidd/Schala asked. Leena looked at her and growled softly. Kidd/Schala wasn't intimidated. "Well?" Leena sighed, "Yeah. I would like proof." The blonde-headed girl smiled. "Just look into my eyes. Don't look away . . ."

Serge sat and looked out to the sea. It was so peaceful today. As if nothing could go wrong. Because of this, Serge knew that something _was_ wrong. Serge heard light footfalls on the pier. He turned around expecting to see Kidd. What he saw was Leena. A Leena who looked like she had been crying just a few moments ago. "Leena!" Serge stood up. "What's wrong?"

Leena ran forward and jumped into a surprised Serge's arms. Serge, being the gentleman that he is, held her like that until she was ready to let go.

  


"Leena, what's going on?" Serge asked. Leena sniffled slightly and then composed herself, "I'm sorry, Serge." Serge looked at her quizzically, but before he could ask what she meant, she continued. "I'm sorry that I ever pestered you about Kidd and . . . us. I understand now. I understand that you really _did_ go on glorious adventures with her. I know that you really _did_ save the world. I'm sorry that I didn't believe you earlier." Serge was stunned, "Wha–what? How?" Leena smiled softly, "Karsh and I had a little talk. From there, he took me to Kidd–er . . . Schala to get my memory returned." He made a mental note to give Karsh a big hug later. "Although I still . . . Well, I won't get in the way of you and Kidd anymore." Serge smiled and gave Leena another hug.

"Don't worry, Leena. You'll find somebody. I'm sure of it." Serge said reassuringly. Leena found her thoughts wandering to Karsh at those words . . .

All of the fishermen and women, all but one, had either been taken or killed. He had been spared by the dragon-like creatures. The lone fisherman's boat had been destroyed so he was hanging on a large piece of wood. The remnant of some poor soul's boat. In the distance, he could see the mainland, and although he couldn't see it now, he knew he was heading toward Arni . . .

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There ya go!!! How'd ya like it? Please R&R and all that! BTW. For all the people that want to know, I _will_ be finishing this story!

--Ben


	20. Setting Off

There you go! Here's the next one for all my readers. Thanks the reviews!!!

I don't . . . _snore, snore, snore._ So hah!

**Chapter 19: Setting Off**

"Oomph!" Karsh groaned as Serge enveloped him a big hug. "Serge . . ." He squeaked. Serge ignored him. "Serge . . . Can't . . . Breathe . . ." Serge laughed and let Karsh, who had been two inches above the ground because of Serge, down. "I can't thank you enough, Karsh." Karsh shrugged then smiled mischievously, "You're right, Junior. You owe me . . .  Or maybe I should say, _I _own _you_!" Serge laughed, "Never mind." Karsh joined in the laughter.

Three days later, Karsh was, once again, taking a walk. But this time, it was with Leena.

"Ya know, Karsh. I never actually expected you to be . . . well . . . sweet." Karsh laughed loudly. A little bit _too_ loudly for Leena's taste, but she didn't mind. _It's ironic. Karsh is to Serge as white is to black, but I feel myself falling more for him every moment that I'm with him. I never thought I'd ever find love again after Serge told me the news._ The only part that Leena didn't like about Karsh was–_BURP!_–that. Karsh had no qualms about being his full, so-called 'manly' self around Leena. If he wanted to burp, he'd burp. If he wanted to scratch, he'd scratch. If he wanted to laugh out loud, then he would. It was painfully annoying for her, but she was willing to look past it now, and, hopefully, correct it in the future.

"I'm still waiting for your life story, Janus." Harle said in a singsong voice. Janus was silent.

Over the last week or so, Janus found himself actually being _attracted_ to Harle, although he had no idea how far apart they were in age. He found himself opening up to her more. He was changing fast, and he knew it. For after he had opened up to her, he had begun to do it with the others, little by little of course. But there was one thing that he always shielded away from. And that was his past. He just didn't want to talk about it.

  


"Come on, Janus! _Pleeaase?_" Janus sighed heavily, "Look. I would rather not talk about it. I've done a lot of things that I regret. I've done a lot of things that I'd rather just _forget_. And talking about it won't help me forget. So, please, don't ask me any more." Harle was silent for a few moments.

"Janus." Janus looked at Harle. "Janus, I've done a lot of things that I wish I could forget about too! For instance, I was there when Lynx invaded Lucca's house. I _helped_ when Lynx burned it down. When we took her. I wish . . . I wish I could take back all of the things that I said to and about Kidd. I wish that I had never joined up with Lynx. We killed . . . a countless amount of people. _Innocent_ people."

 The last part of her confession, reminded Janus of what he had done. He, too, had killed so many. Nearly all of them were innocents. "You see, Janus. You can't possibly forget about all of these things. These things that we have done will stay with us until our deaths. But we can dull the pain by talking to others about them." Janus sighed. He knew that Harle was right. There was no doubt. And he knew that she would not judge him. She had done horrible things just as he did.

Janus made a decision then. He would tell her everything. "Okay. I'll tell you." Harle stared at him in astonishment. "You will?" Janus nodded. Harle grinned.

Janus began, "Many years ago, I was born the prince of the country of Zeal. My older sister, Schala or as you know her, Kidd, was the princess.

"When I was about ten years old, a mysterious prophet arrived at Zeal and prophesied that soon a group of six would arrive. He prophesied that these six would destroy Zeal if Zeal wasn't ready. A week later, the six, Crono, Marle, Glenn, better known as Frog, Lucca, Ayla, and Robo, got there. At the time, the queen had become obsessed with the power of Lavos. When they tried to stop her from summoning it, its power opened up some time portals. I fell through one and landed in a Mystic village called Medina. The Mystics thought I was sent by the gods and took me in. As I–"

Janus stopped as he saw Karsh running up to them. "Come quick! We found somebody!" He said out-of-breath. Janus stood up and began walking toward Karsh. Harle followed closely behind him.

"He just washed up on shore. Leena and I were walking near Opassa when we saw him. She stayed with him to help and I was sent to find somebody. You two were the closest." Karsh said while the three ran towards Opassa Beach. Well, Janus simply floated a few inches above the ground.

When the three arrived, they saw Leena tending to a man's wounds. Leena was trying to give him some water, but he was refusing it. He was saying weakly, "Serge. Get Serge over here now!"

A purple mist enveloped the entire group, including the man, and they were immediately transported to the shelter where they had been staying for the last week and a half.

Serge caught sight of the purple mist that seemed to come up from the grassy floor in the makeshift shelter that they were staying in. He thought nothing of it though, it was Janus returning from whatever he was doing.

  


Serge laid his head back down on his pillow and felt himself falling back into a deep sleep. He was interrupted as he heard Leena scream, "_SERGE_!"

Serge bolted out of the cot he was sleeping in and looked for Leena. He found her, Janus, Harle, and some man that Serge recognized as Joe where the mist had just been seconds before. He saw that the man was cut up in many places and that he had possibly broken his ankle.

Serge ran over to them. By now, the rest of his group was awakening. "What's goin' on, mate?" Kidd asked groggily. He didn't answer as he ran past her.

"What happened?" Serge asked anyone who would listen. "I don't know! Joe has only been telling me to get you ever since he washed up on shore!" Leena said frantically.

Serge knelt down next to Joe, "What's going on? Where are the others?" He could see that Joe was falling fast. If he didn't get help soon, he would die. Joe gasped slightly, "Massacre." Serge's eyes widened, "Wha–What?" _No. No. No! NO! Not again!_ Kidd stepped up to the man and pressed her hands against his chest. A blue light emanated from them and Serge could see some of the wounds on the man's body heal. His ankle remained the same. He turned to Kidd to thank her, but he easily saw worry in her eyes. Their eyes met and Kidd shook her head slightly. Just enough for Serge to see.

Serge stood up with Kidd. He looked to Joe, "We'll be right back. Hold that thought." Joe looked like he wanted to say something, but he had a coughing fit.

"What's wrong, Kidd? Will he be okay?" Kidd was silent. "Kidd!" She sighed, "We might have been too late. He's lost a lot of blood and he looked completely exhausted. One thing's for sure, if we don't get him to rest, he going to die. He doesn't have much longer in his state. He needs sleep and lots of it." Serge sighed. He wanted to find out what had happened, but he knew that would be impossible if the man was dead.

"Serge . . ." It was two days later when Joe woke again. His news had hit Serge hardest. He blamed himself.

"Serge, please." Kidd willed Serge to talk to her. It was no use, though. He hadn't said two words since the news. It had been three days since then too!

Most of the others, plus the remaining villagers, were building a new boat. It was going to be a grand boat too. Three times as big as the normal fishing boat. The villagers had even salvaged an engine to put on it. It would cut the time to get to Chronopolis or, at least, the End of Time, in half.

"Serge! Talk to me! _Please_!" Serge gave her no recognition. A tear rolled down Kidd's cheek. Serge had never been like this before. Even in their lowest times.

  


Kidd didn't want to marry _this_ man. She wanted to marry the loving, caring Serge that she had known for what seemed to be forever. This Serge was not that same man. _This_ Serge was cold to everyone around him. And Kidd had no idea what to do about it.

Melchior watched sadly as Kidd tried to comfort Serge. Everybody had tried, even Janus! But everybody else had given up, temporally at least. Kidd hadn't though. She kept trying to talk to him. Trying to get him to talk to her. It was no use though. Serge was hurting too much.

Melchior had also noticed something different about Serge. He wasn't the Serge that Melchior had met at his house. This Serge was darker. _It's happening. If we don't pull Serge out of this depression soon, it will be too late. We'll all be doomed._

"Lynx! You've gone too far this time!" Lynx rolled his eyes in annoyance. This kind of outburst happened often for him. For the last thirteen years or so. Even so, it was still annoying.

"Would you just _shut up_!" Lynx yelled with a voice full of fury. The man who had been complaining smirked. "What? Am I bothering you, you piece of Reptite dung?" Lynx growled softly and turned back to the computer screen where he watched Serge as his anger built.

"I'm not done talking to you, Lynx!" Lynx turned back to the man. The man had fiery red hair. Although, gray hairs were popping up here and there. He had blue eyes that were full of wisdom and, for the last thirteen years, anger.

This man was the only one of the three people that Lynx had captured, many years ago, that he had not, in some way, broken. The two women, one with blonde hair, and the other with barely recognizable _purple_ hair, he had long ago silenced. Those two barely ever spoke to him unless the were feeling very passionate about something.

The man, on the other hand, was just as loud as thirteen years ago. No matter what Lynx did to him, he just wouldn't quiet down! It was a different story when Lynx hurt the blonde girl, though. She was his weakness.

WHACK! The blonde girl slammed against the cold metal floor in a heap. The red-haired man watched in horror as Lynx brought back his hand to slap the girl again. WHACK!

"You see. Talking back is a bad thing. Especially now, when I need my total concentration." He held the barely conscious blonde up by her hair. "Every word you say will result in a slap. Each slap will be harder than the last. If you keep it up, she will die." The man was silent. 

Lynx smiled. There's no way he'd ever actually _kill_ the girl. She was too important for that. Those three _all_ were. With enough death, he'd be able to control all three of them. Those three, along with Serge, would be able to easily help him to control the world.

Lynx turned back to the computer screen and growled.

  


"This can't be happening. It's my fault." Serge said softly. Kidd nodded. She had finally gotten Serge to talk to her. It only took a lot of wearing him down and then a _Fireball _element. She smiled at that thought.

"Serge. You can't blame yourself! You had no idea!" Serge shook his head, "No. I should have known. If I had figured it out, I would've been able to save them. It's all my fault. _Everything_ is my fault."

Kidd sighed angrily, "Don't you get it, Serge? This is Lynx's plan! To hurt you in ways that he couldn't do physically! That's why he destroyed Termina. It's why he destroyed Arni and Guldove. It's why he did this!" Serge simply stared straight ahead. "It's not going to stop until he's destroyed! And you are the only one powerful enough to do that! We need you, Serge! _I_ need you. You're the leader. Without you, the entire team falls apart! Without you . . . _I_ fall apart."

Serge didn't reply. He had gone silent again. Kidd got up from her spot on the dock and began walking away.

Lynx laughed. "A good effort, but it was useless. I've gotten a hold of Serge and all I have to do is reel him in." Lynx's laughter was cut short as Serge stood and ran off of the dock in search of Kidd.

Serge found Kidd on Opassa Beach. She was practicing with her prism dagger.

Serge walked up to her. She was so engrossed in her practice, she hadn't noticed him yet.

Serge was about to tap Kidd on the shoulder when she let loose a large roundhouse kick and hit him squarely in the jaw. Serge slammed down into the sand.

Kidd's eyes widened as she saw Serge. "Serge!" She knelt down by his side. "Are you okay?" Serge groaned and nodded. He got up and sat down in the sand. Kidd sat next to him.

"I guess I deserved that." Serge said softly. Kidd grinned, "Ya got that right, mate! Worrying us like that! I could give you a few more of those!" Kidd's attitude made Serge smile. It was the first time he had smiled in three days.

Lynx roared in anger. "How could this happen? Everything was going as planned!" Lynx heard someone laughing. It wasn't the red-haired man though. He spun around to look for the source. He found it seconds later. The purple-haired woman was getting a kick out of Lynx's failure. "Is Kidd a little too strong for you, Lynx? Did you underestimate her like I said you would?" Lynx growled softly and immediately cast a strong spell on the three that would make them sleep for many days.

"Wow." Serge said as he saw the large boat in front of him. It was built like a normal fishing boat, but it was much larger. It had a mast with sail in the middle of it, and a rusty engine on the back. Karsh looked over at him and laughed, "Yeah. Can't believe I helped build that." Serge was silent as he admired the vessel.

Glenn walked over to him, "It's a thing of beauty." He looked directly at Serge, "Are you okay?" Serge smiled slightly and nodded. "Good." Glenn said.

"This is it. I'm leaving." Karsh said to Leena. She nodded sadly, "I don't understand. Why can't I come with you? I can fight!" Karsh sighed, "Leena. I don't . . . want anything happening to you. Not now. We're about to go up against a power hungry cat Demihuman. One that can use ancient magic and everything. If the prophecy involving Serge comes true, then we're all dead."

"What prophesy?" Karsh mentally kicked himself, "Uh . . . Never mind." Leena didn't stop, "What prophesy, Karsh? I've known Serge ever since I was a baby, and I would like to know why if this 'prophecy' comes true that you'll be dead." Karsh was silent for many moments. He had known that Serge didn't want Leena to hear about it, but he had no way of backing out of telling her. "I . . . uh . . ."

"He'll tell you about it later, Leena." Glenn, who had overheard their conversation, said. Leena scowled, "But . . ." Glenn held up a hand, "Not now. It's a long story and we don't have time right now. We have to go in about five minutes."

Karsh sighed, "I'm sorry, Leena. I wish I could tell you, but . . . well . . . I'll leave it at that." Leena scowled once more and then she calmed. "Okay. I understand. Whatever it is, you'll tell me when you get back, right?" Karsh grinned, "Of course!"

Leena looked at him. "You _will be coming back, right?" Karsh was silent. He had no idea how to answer that. He knew that, if Serge somehow __was changed, he, and probably the rest of them, would be dead. He also knew that there might be casualties anyway, even if the prophecy didn't come true. "Karsh?" Silence. "You won't be coming back, will you?"_

Karsh sighed, "Leena. I'll do everything in my power to come back to you. But, you have to understand; we are going up against one of the most powerful being on the planet. We're not nearly as prepared as we were before, and there's a chance . . . that some of us . . . won't make it."

Leena looked down, "I _do understand, but . . ." Karsh smiled sadly, "I'll come back, Leena. Unless I'm dead, know this, I __will come back to you. I promise."_

Leena smiled slightly, "You had better come back, Karsh! I still have to teach you some manners!" Karsh groaned loudly, "How do I get myself into these things?" Leena grinned and punched him playfully in the shoulder.

Serge looked out among his group. They had all paired up with somebody by now. _Kidd and himself. Glenn and Ana. Karsh and Leena. Janus and . . . Harle? Serge chuckled at that thought. __Well, Melchior doesn't have anybody, but that's okay. "Serge!" Serge snapped out of his thoughts and turned to a frustrated Kidd. She had her hands on her hips and she was glaring at him. Serge just couldn't shake the vision of Leena doing the same thing whenever he got caught up in his thoughts._

"Yeah?" Serge asked. Kidd sighed, "I was asking when we'd be leaving." Serge thought about it for a moment, "I guess we are ready to set off now." Kidd nodded and ran to tell the others.

Serge shook the hand of Chief Radius—he had regained his memories via Schala—while thanking him for the support. Radius laughed, "Serge. How could I not help you?" Serge laughed too, "I guess you're right."

Radius got serious all of a sudden. "Get him good, Serge. Have no mercy on him, just as he had no mercy on us. Take him out." Serge nodded slowly and walked aboard the boat.

A villager brought him a few fishing poles. "For the trip." The villager said. Serge smiled and gladly took them.

Another villager brought him a basket full of bread and fish. Another brought buckets of water. Serge filled up a compartment in the boat that was specifically made for holding water.

"Good-bye, Karsh." Leena said. Karsh looked down at her and winked, "It ain't 'good-bye'; it's—"

"I know. It's just 'see you later'." Leena said. Karsh smiled, "Exactly." Leena smiled back at him.

Serge opened the sail and wind immediately caught it. The boat began pulling away from the dock, slowly at first, and then it sped up. "Good-bye!" Serge yelled. The people of Arni cheered as the boat got farther and farther out to sea.

Many minutes later, the crowd had gotten off the dock. All but one.

Leena stood on the dock looking out to the ocean for many hours. She wondered many things. She wondered if she'd ever see Karsh again. She wondered about the prophesy that Karsh had mentioned. But most of all, she wondered if she was truly in . . . love.

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There. How'd you like it? Please R&R!!!

Ahem. Now's the part where I make the readers want to tear me apart and eat me. ;-) I'm gonna be going out of town in a week or two. I'll be gone for a week probably. I'll try to get a chapter or two up by then though.

Ahem again. Now's the new part of the chapters where I put up stupid questions!

Will the group reach Chronopolis without trouble?

Will Leena ever find out whether she's in love with Karsh or not?

Will Janus ever tell Harle his story?!

Find out next time on . . . Chrono Cross: Radical Dreamer!!!

--Ben


	21. The End of Time

Okay, here ya go. Chapter 20! It's a good one, in my opinion. It's not my best though. I had a small case of writer's block, so… Sorry if you don't like it as much as the others. :-) Read on!

Stupid Disclaimer: Blah blah blah… I don't think I'm gonna get sued. Plus even if I did, I bet I'd win.

**Chapter 20: The End of Time**

Serge stood at the bow of his little ship. He had no reason to be at the sail. Not with the engine running anyway.

Kidd walked over and stood beside him. For a few minutes, neither of them spoke. They just looked out to the open sea. Finally, "How long is this trip going to take?" Kidd asked. Serge was silent. "Serge?" Serge snapped out of his trance and he looked at Kidd in bewilderment. "Huh?" Kidd laughed. "You were daydreamin' again weren't ya, mate?" Serge just smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Come on! You were telling me before! Why won't you now?" Harle whined. Janus rolled his eyes, "Because." Harle gave an exasperated sigh. "Because why?" She asked in a childish voice. Janus sighed, "Because, there's too many people around. And if you don't stop bugging me about it, I will _never tell you." Harle groaned quietly and sat down on the wooden deck of the boat._

Karsh sat alone by the engine. He had volunteered to keep an eye on the engine mainly so he'd be alone. He had to do some heavy-duty thinking to do and he couldn't do that if the others were constantly disturbing him.

_What do I feel for Leena? Karsh asked himself. He already had the answer though. __Love, maybe? _

"Can you believe Karsh and Leena?" Kidd asked Serge trying to keep him from going off into his own little world again. Serge was silent. _Too late. Kidd thought with a frown. She decided to bring him out of it in the way that only she could._

"Oof!" Serge groaned after being elbowed in the gut by Kidd. "What was that for?" He asked while catching his breath. Kidd grinned, "It teaches you not to go into your own little world while I'm talkin' to you… mate." Serge groaned again.

Melchior watched Serge and Kidd closely. Just a few minutes ago, Kidd had elbowed Serge. Now they were talking to each other excitedly. About what, Melchior had no idea.

"So when do you want to do it?" Serge asked. Kidd thought about it for a moment. "I… I hadn't thought about it. I supposed after all of this is over with." Serge nodded. "Okay. Do you have anybody in mind who can do it?" Kidd was silent for a moment and then her eyes lit up. "Melchior! Schala tells me that Melchior's done it before."

Melchior watched warily as Kidd and Serge walked over to him. They both sat in front of him. "Melchior. We need to talk to you." Kidd said with a grin.

Leena sat down on the dock. She had been spending a lot of time there ever since the group had left. Karsh had only been gone for three days, but, already, she missed him. A shadow passed overhead. Leena looked up and gasped.

"That's right. We want you to… marry us." Serge said tentatively. Melchior was silent for many moments. Finally, "I… I'm honored. In fact, I'm ecstatic! Of course, I will! How could I turn that down?" Kidd grinned and enveloped Melchior in a big hug. "Thank you, Melchior." Melchior hugged her back with one arm while shaking Serge's hand with the other.

"Marry?" Lynx asked no one. They, Lynx and his three prisoners had all heard the conversation. There was blessed silence for few moments. It was the first time there had been silence in a while. Lynx frowned. _Great! Just great! This can destroy my entire plan! If the Chrono Trigger isn't being consumed by his anger when I try to control him, I'll fail! All of a sudden, there was a muffled cry from behind him. Lynx spun around and smiled evilly. "Perfect…" He said as he saw Leena thrashing about in the grasp of the Dragonian._

Janus felt the distress from the girl he had only met once. _Leena's in trouble. He thought. He was about to announce it to Serge, but then he stopped himself as he saw Serge and Kidd talking and laughing together._

Janus knew that if he told them that, not only would Serge fall back into a depression, it would also bring fighting and virtually a civil war to the group. Karsh would insist that they go and get her back now. Harle would insist on going to get magic training beforehand. The rest of them, especially Serge, would be torn, not knowing who to side with. He knew that the group couldn't handle that news right now.

Janus stood up and walked to a secluded spot on the boat and looked out to the ocean. He sighed. _This adventure just like the waves. We're always getting by them. We try to hang on, and, when we finally think it's better, Lynx throws something else at us. We can't take much more of this. We need to finish this soon._

"Where are they going?!" Lynx snarled. He hadn't been sure at first, but now he was. They _weren't heading toward the Dead Sea. No, they seemed to be more on a course to Black Dragon Isle…_

_There it is. Thought Serge as he looked at the group of islands just barely in his line of vision. In the middle of the islands was a 'disturbance' in time. The only place that Serge knew of that could take him to the End of Time._

"What is that place?" Lynx wondered as the group neared the islands. He watched them as they passed the group of islands' boundary lines and continued toward the middle of the islands.

It was dark now. Serge and the rest of the group were getting tired now from the days that they had spent on the open sea.

Serge decided to stop for the night. He knew that he would never find what they were looking for in this darkness of the night. He was about to tell Karsh to stop the engine, but he stopped himself. Karsh was sleeping soundly. In fact, so was everybody else, other than Janus. Serge smiled and walked silently across the wooden boat and turned off the rattling engine.

Serge smiled as he looked at the sleeping form of Kidd. She was curled up in a ball. Serge thought that she was so cute when she slept. She moaned slightly and Serge could see that she was shivering. Now that he thought about it, it was kind of chilly. Serge looked around the boat for a blanket of some kind. He couldn't find any.

Serge sighed and looked at what he was wearing. He weighed his options and sighed again.

Serge took off his shirt and placed it over Kidd gently. Immediately, Kidd stopped shivering and she sighed contently. Serge, on the other hand, noticed how cold it really was.

Lynx smiled evilly as he made the weather even colder via a weather machine that he had. It was down into the forties and was still falling.

Serge shivered violently now. They all were by now. And to top it all off, it was now raining and the wind was picking up…

"Serge!" Kidd called. Serge opened his eyes and looked at Kidd. _So cold… He thought. He closed his eyes again and started drifting off to sleep again. "Serge!" Serge moaned lightly, but didn't awaken. __THUMP! Serge was jarred from his sleep as Kidd's foot found his gut. "Oof!"_

Kidd didn't revel in her victory over Serge. She was way to scared for that. "Serge! Get up!" Serge looked like he was about to fall back to sleep, but he was suddenly grabbed by Glenn and lifted onto his feet. From there, Glenn slapped Serge over and over again until Serge was wide-awake.

When Serge regained full conscious, he realized the situation that they were in. The rain was pouring down and the temperature was probably below twenty. The wind, which was blowing at high speeds, didn't help the situation at all. Plus, it was still dark.

The first word out of Serge's mouth was something you'd expect from someone like Kidd or Karsh. "_CRAP!"_

"Don't you ever quit?! Can't they have a break ever now and then?! All you ever do is torture them with some new disaster!" The blonde-haired woman was at it now. Lynx rolled his eyes; She had to speak up _now? "Listen up, __Your Highness." The woman's eyes widen in fury. "Why you—." Lynx didn't let her continue, "I __have to make the Chrono Trigger mad enough to be able to come __completely under my control. He's a very strong-willed person, not unlike yourself, and to be able to control him, I have to do something drastic." He paused and then smiled evilly, "Like this…"_

The group of eight was working as frantically as possible to get to land. By now, the wind had grown stronger, the rain was coming down harder, and, finally, the temperature was getting lower. It was about to get worse.

Serge's eyes widened and his face paled when lightning struck somewhat close to them. It wasn't the lightning that terrified him though. No, he was looking at the thing that the lightning illuminated. Because, not too far away was a Waterspout, or, in other words, a water cyclone.

"Serge!" Glenn yelled. Serge spun to look at him, and his eyes widened further. Glenn was pointing, not to the cyclone, but to the large tidal wave heading toward them on the _other side of the boat._

"You're going to kill them!" Leena  yelled at Lynx. He had put her in with the other three specific prisoners. 

Lynx laughed, "Either way, I win. If he lives, I will control him. If he dies, there would be any opposition to my setting up the _old way of life. Complete with FATE. In fact, I'd rather them all dead __now. And better yet, if I get rid of them __now, I could get rid of you three too. I could wipe out __all my prisoners!"_

Leena's eyes widened. _Karsh…_

"We're trapped!" Karsh snarled in fury. Glenn stumbled over to Serge with Ana hanging on to him for dear life. Kidd was doing the same to Serge. "What do you make of it? Can we get out of here?" Serge was silent. He knew the answer, but he refused to voice it. He had always been the optimistic one in the group. When everything looked hopeless, he had encouraged his friends. And then he proceeded to get them out too! But this time… it truly was… hopeless.

Something inside of Serge snapped. He had just figured out the origin of this storm…

"What's going on?" Lynx asked in a dark voice as he watched Serge stand up straight on the boat and stare at the cyclone.

_He's gone too far! He will pay! Something amazing happened inside of Serge at this moment. His eyes began glowing a bright green color and suddenly the wind simply stopped. Or so he thought._

"What's this?!" Lynx screamed at the computer screen.

Serge opened his eyes—that were formerly closed—to the sight of a _new cyclone surrounding the boat. They were standing in the __eye of the cyclone. There was no wind though. Not even a single breeze. There was, on the other hand, a loud roaring sound._

Somehow, Serge knew what to do. He closed his eyes again and he began floating off the boat. Not too far up, just a few feet. When he opened his eyes again the cyclone expanded outward with impossible speed and power. It was strong enough to diffuse the other cyclone… It was fast enough to completely reverse the direction of the tidal wave… It was powerful enough to blow all of the rain clouds mile away…

Lynx was silent for many minutes. Everybody in the room was. What they had seen was… impossible.

The reaction on Serge's boat was similar. They were all silent. In fact, Serge was the first one to shake himself from the shock of what he had just done. He turned to Glenn and gave him a weak smile, "Glenn. I think we're going to make it out of here just fine."

Glenn blinked some and then stared at Serge in disbelief. "H—How? What did you just…" He trailed off unable to speak anymore. Melchior was the one to answer. "That was an example of the formerly nonexistent Wind magic."

Lynx roared in fury. Although he still inhabited Serge's body, the sound that came from his mouth was undoubtedly feline. He slammed his fist down on the large keyboard in front of him and he completely destroyed in with that one hit. He froze and blinked at the destruction he had just caused. He had just ruined the machine that he used to control the weather…

The next morning, Serge set off again in search of the portal that would take them to the End of Time. It took nearly all day to find it.

"Okay, here we go." Serge said. He steered the boat toward the whirlpool that signified the entrance. The boat began going with the whirlpool and begun going around in a circle. With each pass, they came closer to the middle until there was a flash causing all of them to squint their eyes to avoid being blinded and a rushing sound. When they all opened their eyes again, they were in a large tunnel.

Serge was the first to step off the boat. The rest followed him. He walked to the end of the tunnel and walked onto a bridge that led to a strange platform. Once they were out of the tunnel, most of them stopped to marvel at the place. They had though the tunnel would lead them straight to a cavern or something. Instead, the tunnel led them to nothing. Literally. Their 'cavern' was just endless blackness. Some of them turned around to be amazed by the fact that the tunnel was just an opening in the darkness. Blackness was all around it.

Serge's steel-toed boots clicked on the platform as he walked. He looked around and saw the strange creature that was there the first time he was there. He also saw the strange portals that led to different parts of El Nido.

Serge walked up to the creature. "Is this the End of Time?" He asked just to confirm it. "Yes, this is the place you search for." The creature answered. Serge smiled, "Can you tell us where we can find Spekkio?" The creature made a strange sound that sounded kind of a laugh. "Nobody has been here looking for Spekkio in over a decade." Serge was getting impatient, "Is he still here or not?" The creature seemed to think about it for a moment. This made Serge extremely suspicious of it. It wasn't a hard question. Finally, the creature answered, "Yes. You can find Spekkio in the door behind me."

From the darkness formed a small staircase that led to a door that wasn't there a few seconds ago. Serge smiled and nodded to the creature. He turned to the people behind him, "Let's go."

Lynx was letting loose curse words a mile a minute. _ I can't believe I just did that! Now what am I supposed to do?! He screamed at himself in his mind. Meanwhile, despite the situation, his prisoners were laughing at him. He looked at them and growled._

The door opened with a loud _CREAK and Serge peered inside. It was empty. He frowned and walked into the room. His friends followed him. The room was a circular room with a metal rail surrounding it. There was nothing in it. "Hey, what the—" Serge spun around to find the door… gone. "What gives?!"_

The sound of three laughing voices filled the air. Janus froze. _No. Not them. Please, anybody but them._

Three figures materialized out of the air near the rail in front of Serge. There was a fat green man. There was a blue man with an average build. And then there was a red… _person… They were all dressed in gaudy clothing._

"Oh no." Janus said quietly. "Magus?" Janus groaned, "What are you three doing here?" He asked angrily. "Flea, Slash! It _is Magus!" The green man sneered. "Last thing I heard was that you went soft, Magus. Is that true?" Janus growled quietly. "Shut up, Ozzie. Now's not the time. Where's Spekkio?" 'Ozzie' smirked. "What? Aren't you going to introduce us to your friends?"_

Serge was getting impatient. "Look! Tell us where Spekkio is and we'll get out your way!" Ozzie grinned mischievously, "And if not?" Everyone drew his or her weapons at the same time. The three people began to chuckle. The chuckling turned into laughing soon after. "Look at this, guys! The kids want to _fight."_

It was Janus' turn to chuckle. "You aren't going to stand a chance. The blue-haired one could finish all of you off _without a weapon." Ozzie sized Serge up for a moment and then started laughing. "__This boy? You say __this boy could beat us? Hey… Where'd he go?"_

_WHAM_! Serge, who had frozen time, kicked Ozzie to the ground with ease. "What the—?" The Mastermune was at Ozzie's throat immediately. "Where. Is. Spekkio?" Serge asked through clenched teeth. Ozzie started laughing. "Violent one you have here, Magus!" Ozzie disappeared and reappeared behind Serge. Two can play at that game, boy." And with that, the fight began…

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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! CLIFFHANGER!!!! Sorry, I could've made it longer, but I didn't want to keep the readers waiting. Don't worry though, I always really get into the fights and they go by fairly fast because of that.

So… Has anyone figured out who the mysterious prisoners are? It's not too hard… Well, if so, don't say it in a review or whatever. Don't want to ruin it for the people who don't know.

Anyway, R&R as always!!!

--Ben


	22. Training

Ahh… Two chapters in two days. Not an easy thing to do! Anyway, not much to say other than thanks for the reviews…

Disclaimer: Look! I just disclaimed it! See! _Disclaimer. HA!_

**Chapter 21: Training**

_FLASH!  Serge yelled out in pain as a huge lightning bolt struck him. The lightning bolt had originated from Ozzie. He flew backwards and crashed into the rail. Meanwhile, Ozzie laughed._

Serge was tempted to just finish the three troublemakers off with _Holy Fire, but he knew that if he did that, they might never find Spekkio._

"Get him, Slash! _I want to take Magus…" The blue-skinned one, called Slash, grunted and started walking toward Serge. Serge smiled as Slash removed a large sword. He had always favored weapons combat over elements. This was no different._

_FWOOSH! A large pillar of fire emerged from Janus' outstretched hands and engulfed Ozzie. When the smoke cleared, Ozzie was gone. Janus smirked slightly until, __WHAM! Janus flew forward and crashed into the floor._

"Is that the best you can do, Janus?" Ozzie asked. Janus rolled onto his back to get a better look at Ozzie. "Teleportation. Not bad, Ozzie." Janus said with a sneer. Ozzie just sneered back.

_CLANG! "Come on, Karsh! Snap out of it!" Karsh brought his axe back down onto Glenn's swords with such ferocity that the swords nearly flew out of his hands. The one called Flea had confused Karsh, and now he was attacking people, friend or foe, at random. __CLANG! "Karsh!"_

_CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! Serge was relentless in his attacks. He could tell that he had caught Slash off guard with his skill, but Slash had recovered by now and was putting up a good fight._

"Surprised ya, didn't I?" Serge asked through clenched teeth. Slash smirked and jumped back away from Serge. A blue 'aura' seemed to surround him and he dashed forward with amazing speed. _It's Dash & Slash! Serge thought frantically._

Serge was able to dodge the sword just in time, but he had dodged the wrong way and was now directly in the way of Slash. _WHAM! Slash crashed into Serge and they both tumbled._

_CLANG! "__KARSH!" Glenn yelled at the top of his lungs. Karsh stopped for a moment and blinked furiously. The red tint in his eyes disappeared and he looked around. His eyes settled on Glenn who had scratches all over himself and a deep gash in his arm. "Glenn? What just happen—" __FWOOSH! "Karsh! Watch out!"_

A pillar of fire hit Karsh in the back and he flew forward only to slide across the floor and crash into the rail at the other side of the platform. He had been knocked unconscious.

Kidd and Ana stayed with Melchior throughout the battle. Ana sighed, "Kidd can you handle him?" She asked. Kidd looked at her, "Why?" Ana smiled and motioned to Glenn, "He's getting his butt kicked. They could use another magic user out there to even the odds." _FWOOSH! Kidd saw Glenn just barely dodged the smoldering flames. She turned back to Ana, "No problem."_

_FLASH! Flea cried out as… s/he was hit with a large lightning bolt that originated from a blonde-haired girl with red streaks in her hair. Flea growled, nobody, __nobody, did that to her/him._

_FWOOSH! Janus hit Ozzie with a large pillar of water and Ozzie flew backward and slammed against the rail. "Weren't fast enough that time, were you, Ozzie?" Ozzie growled and he shot a lightning bolt at Janus. The lightning bolt fizzled out before it even hit Janus via a shield that Janus had created around himself. "Don't think so, Ozzie."_

_CLANG! Serge had once again gained the upper hand in the battle with Slash. After fighting Slash for a while, Serge had begun to understand his limits. So now, Serge was toying with him. He could easily beat him._

Slash was exhausted by now. _The boy isn't even breathing hard! He noted. __ I underestimated him by a lot. Time to begin using my magic._

_FWOOSH! Serge was slammed into the rail by the jet of water. __Great… He's using magic now. Serge thought grimly._

Serge got back up and charged at Slash. As he expected, Slash sent another blast of water at him, but this time Serge was ready. Just before the water hit him, Serge jumped up high into the air, did a flip, and landed behind Slash.

_FWOOSH! Serge once again flew back and ended up slamming into the rail beside Kidd. Kidd yelped in surprise but them she relaxed when Serge got back up._

Serge looked at Slash, who had anticipated Serge's move and was ready for it. Serge began walking toward Slash once again. If he had paid more attention to his surroundings, he might have noticed that Kidd was directly behind him…

_FWOOSH! This time, Serge sidestepped the water and began running at Slash as fast as he could. He was stopped by a scream. __Kidd! The name whirled through Serge's mind._

Serge spun around and saw Kidd, who was hanging precariously off of the rail. Serge's eyes widened and he ran to her. He was so terrified that he never thought to stop time…

Kidd tried to hang on, but she lost her grip. "_SERGE!!!" She screamed as her wet hands slipped on the equally wet rail. "Kidd!" Serge yelled as he saw Kidd fall into the blackness._

Serge wasn't thinking anymore. No, he was acting on instinct only. When he reached the rail where Kidd had been, he simply _jumped off __the platform._

Kidd screamed as she fell. She didn't know whether she could die in this place, through falling anyway. She didn't see anything but blackness all around her! This didn't really comfort her though.

Serge dove toward Kidd coming closer to her every second until, _WHAM, he grabbed her._

Slash smirked. He had just taken out two birds with one stone. _Or better yet, two brats with one blast. Little did he know that he was terribly wrong._

Time seemed to stop as Serge looked down at Kidd. They were still falling, but it didn't matter to them. If they would die, they'd die together.

But that wasn't how Serge was going to have it. He refused to let them die just yet. If he was gone, who would save the world?

Wind began to whip around them. Swirling and swirling, causing their descent to slow. Kidd looked at Serge questioningly. It was as if she was asking, _"What are you doing?"_

Serge just smiled at her. His eyes were a bright green now.

The wind whipped around them harder and faster. They were falling extremely slowly now. Kidd could feel a definite updraft now. They stopped falling and for a few seconds they didn't move, but then, slowly at first, they began moving upward toward the far-away platform where their friends were fighting their hearts out…

There was wind. It was unheard of in the End of Time. These thoughts penetrated Slash's mind as he walked closer to the edge. He couldn't see anything, but he could hear the constant _whooshing sound of the air moving at high speeds. "What's going on?" He asked incredulously._

The _whooshing increased and Slash found it hard to keep his head over the rail. Suddenly, Slash was flung backward, tumbling end over end, because of an extremely strong gust. When he recovered from his fall, he looked up and gasped. There floating in the air were the two people that had went over the edge._

The boy held onto the girl as the wind was so strong that it threatened to tear them apart forever.

All fighting stopped as the two began moving over the platform and suddenly the wind stopped resulting in them both falling onto the platform in a heap. "You really need to work on your landings, Serge." The girl said.

Slash narrowed his eyes; "_You!" was all he could manage to say. The boy, named Serge, stood up and glared at Slash. Slash took a step back. That boy's eyes weren't normal. __They were blue before! Now they're green!_

All eyes were on Serge now. He hadn't said a word since bringing Kidd back. He had just stared at Slash.

Slash watched in fear as Serge took a step and then another step closer to him. Suddenly, as if Serge's eyes weren't bright enough, they flashed an even brighter shade of green and wind began whirling around him.

Serge just looked at Slash as wind whipped around him, forming a tiny cyclone. He stretched his arms outward and he concentrated the wind on Slash.

Slash flew backward and crashed into the rail because of the impossible power of Serge. Suddenly, he felt an updraft that came out of nowhere and he flew up into the blackness. After going up a ways, the updraft disappeared and it was replaced by a strong _downdraft…_

_CRASH! Slash dropped onto the floor with neck-breaking speed. He wasn't going to be waking up anytime soon…_

It was complete bliss for Serge as there was not a single sound except for the multiple breathing mouths.

_Click. Click. Click. Serge's boots clicked as he walked toward Ozzie. Ozzie took a step backward. "H—Hey… can we… talk about this?" Ozzie stuttered. Wind swirled around Ozzie and he was slowly lifted up, off the ground. His baggy clothes puffed up so he looked like a large balloon. He stopped moving once he was Serge's height._

Serge walked closer to him until he was in Ozzie's face. Serge grabbed Ozzie by the collar and brought their faces within inches of each other's. "Where. Is. Spekkio?" Serge asked one word at a time. "I—I don't kn—" Ozzie was suddenly flung off the platform and he was held suspended, by the wind, over the endless blackness.

"Okay! I'll take you to him! Please!" Serge smirked and Ozzie was brought back over the platform and dropped on the ground with a thud. His clothes slowly deflated.

Ozzie stood up and brushed himself off. He sighed and raised his arms. A blue light emitted from them and a white portal opened in the middle of the platform.

Serge raised an eyebrow at Ozzie. Ozzie explained, "That portal will lead to the _real End of Time. You see, this is a __fake one. This is the __Bend of Time. In there you'll find some guy named Gaspar." Melchior gasped slightly at the name. "He'll tell you where Spekkio is."_

Serge stepped on the portal and a whooshing sound filled his ears. Serge noted how much this was like when he was traveling dimensions. Serge closed his eyes and he had a sudden falling sensation. When he opened them again he was on a rectangular platform with one single portal on it. That portal was the one that he stood on.

He walked off the portal and the others soon followed him through it, but not before Janus could give Ozzie an _I-warned-you look._

The group walked down a small set of stairs and they found themselves on a circular platform now. Directly in front of them was pole with a man in a dark cloak and bowling hat leaning on it. He looked like he was sleeping…

"Is that…?" Melchior trailed off as the group got closer. Kidd walked up to him, "Melchior, you don't think they were talking about _the Gaspar, do you?" Melchior looked down at her, "I __do, Kidd. I really __do."_

"Um… Excuse me." Serge said. No answer. "Excuse me, sir?" The man snored. Serge sighed and lightly tapped the man on his shoulder. The man jumped to life and he began coughing. Finally, after a few coughs, he looked up and stared at Serge. "Visitors?" He looked at the other seven that came with this mysterious teenager. His eyes stopped on Melchior and Janus who were standing fairly close to each other. "Familiar visitors…"

Melchior brushed past Serge looked at the short man in front of him. "Gaspar?" The man looked up at Melchior. Although his face was mostly in shadow via the bowling hat, one could easily see the smile upon his face.

Kidd watched as Melchior and Gaspar embraced. A single tear rolled down her cheek courtesy of Schala.

"Hello, Janus." Gaspar said. "Haven't seen you in a while. Not since you joined up with Crono and everybody." Gaspar looked like something was eating at him. Finally he spoke up again, "Did you… did you ever find Schala?" Janus gave a weak smile, "As a matter of fact, I did." Gaspar was silent. When he _did speak again, his voice was shaky and uneven. "Is… is she… alright?"_

Kidd sighed and stepped forward. "Yes, Gaspar, I'm just fine." Gaspar looked at Kidd and blinked. It was many moments before he was able to see the resemblance between Schala and this mystery girl. It took longer for him to see that Schala and this girl were nearly, if not completely, identical. It only took him a few moments after that for his mind to comprehend who she was. "Schala?!"

"So, you're here for Spekkio?" Serge nodded. Gaspar smiled, "Well. I'm sure that he'll be happy to have some visitors. He's through that door." He said indicating the door behind him. Serge smiled and looked at his group. He silently asked them if they were ready to go. They confirmed it with slight nods or whatever else and they, with the exception of Ana, Janus, Harle, and Melchior, stepped through the wooden door.

Inside stood a strange creature. It was short, had two stubby arms and legs, and was cover with fur. "Ahh… Visitors!" The party looked at Spekkio quizzically. "_You're Spekkio?" Kidd asked. The creature rolled its eyes, "You were expecting the Queen of Guardia?" It asked sarcastically. Serge stepped forward, eager to get to the point, "We want you to teach us magic."_

Spekkio chuckled, "You get right to the point, don't you, kid? What's your name?" Serge smiled, "I'm Serge. This is Kidd, Glenn, and Karsh." The creature smiled, "I'm Spekkio. So… You want to learn magic, do ya?" Serge nodded. Spekkio laughed, "Well. Let's get started, shall we?"

"Let's see…" Spekkio said while inspecting Kidd, Glenn, and Karsh, "Fire, Water, and Ice for you three." He walked over to Serge. He seemed to inspect Serge for a long time. At least five minutes, Spekkio stood there looking at Serge. Finally, "Amazing. The first all-magic user. _Ever. Congratulations, you have the potential to become probably the most powerful magic user on the planet." Serge blushed slightly, but then he regained his composure. "So, how do we use it?"_

"Well. There's not much to it. In fact, all I have to do is awaken the magic inside of you and there ya go! Now, each of you kneel and let's get this party started."

Lynx watched where Serge and his group had disappeared a long time. _It made no sense, how did they disappear like that? He asked himself. He sighed heavily and decided to go get something to eat. He was getting hungry. Meanwhile, one of his prisoners, the purple-haired woman, was working hard to get free of the shackles that held her to the steel wall. The click of one of them being undone echoed throughout the room…_

Spekkio simply touched each of their foreheads. Immediately Kidd, Glenn, and Karsh felt power flowing through their bodies like never before. Serge just felt an extension of his original power.

"Okay, let's master this stuff, shall we?" Melchior said with a smile. They all were standing on the platform that they had fought Ozzie, Slash, and Flea on. "Kidd. Can you make a fireball?" Kidd smirked, "Piece of cake." Immediately a ball of fire appeared above Kidd's hand. "See? Ow!" Kidd had burnt herself causing laughter to erupt from the group. Melchior was trying to stifle his own laughter, "Don't worry… We'll work on that. Serge, how about you?"

Serge smiled and his eyes turned a deep red as a large fireball appeared above his hands. Then he started tossing the fireball back and forth between hands as if it wasn't a ball of flaming gas but a regular, solid ball. At one point, Serge's eyes turned an icy blue and the fireball followed suit, turning into a ball of ice. Then Serge's eyes nearly went back to their normal color. The only difference was that they were a little bit darker colored. The ice turned into clear, cold water and it splashed onto the floor.

"Ok, that's enough… show-off." Melchior said. Serge smiled sheepishly to Kidd. She scowled.

"Okay, Glenn. Do some water stuff for me." Glenn smiled and his eyes turned blue. He stretched his hand out and from them came a steady stream of water. But that's all it was, a _stream. Not like the __jets of water that were being used in the battle with Ozzie, Slash, and Flea._

"Serge?" Serge smiled and nodded. _FWOOSH! A huge pillar of clear water exploded from his hands. Melchior smiled, "Oookay. You can do that. Karsh. Ice."_

Karsh smiled and he stretched his own hands out. From them came tiny, but extremely sharp, ice crystals that would have torn a person apart. "Very good, Karsh."

Melchior turned to Serge and nodded slowly. Serge nodded back and he raised his arms. In between his arms formed a large spike of ice. It was suddenly propelled through the air and flew out into the blackness. Melchior smiled, "You remind me of Janus. Always got to be the best. Now can you mimic _Karsh's move?" Serge nodded and he raised his arms again. But once again, all he got was the large spike. But he wasn't done yet. For after the first spike was finished, more spikes, all around him, began forming. "Well…okay. That's… um… close enough, I guess."_

This went on for a while; Serge seemed to out beat all of them in some way or another. By the end of the day though, all of them were experienced enough with magic to be ready to leave.

"Go! Get out of here!" The red-haired man hissed. The purple-haired woman just kept picking the lock though. She had just gotten out of hers and she had also broken the blonde-haired girl free. Now she was trying to break the red-haired man loose, but he kept on insisting that she get out.

"Lucca! Please, get out!" He ordered. "Crono! I'm not going to leave you!" The blonde-haired girl said sadly. 'Crono's' eyes softened, "Marle. I'll be okay. You need to save yourself. Warn them of the traps in here. I'll be here when you come back to rescue us."

Tears welled up in Marle's eyes, "Okay, Crono. But… I'll be back. I promise." Crono smiled, "You'd better." He looked at Lucca who was still working furiously at the shackles. "Lucca…" Lucca ignored him.

"Lucca!" Crono hissed. Lucca sighed and looked at him, "I've almost got it, Crono! Just a little bit more!" There were footsteps in the distance. "No time. Get out of here. Take Marle with you." Lucca looked at Crono and sighed. "Okay, Crono."

Lucca turned to face the crying Marle. "Let's go. We're running out of time." Marle nodded slowly and she gave Crono one last hug before running off with Lucca towards, hopefully, the end to this nightmare.

Lynx walked back into room where he had been holding the prisoners and sat back down at the computer screen. He had just gotten there in time to witness Serge and his group start on their way towards the Dead Sea. He spun around to face Crono, Marle, and Lucca. What he found was what he thought he'd never find… empty shackles.

Lynx's roar of fury echoed throughout the entire building…

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… I wonder if I should have done that. Oh well. Too late now. It's written and I'm not going to change it so… Nya!

Anyway, how'd you like it? I'm satisfied. Please R&R!

Ahem… Random Questions!!!

_Will Serge and everybody else make it to Chronopolis without hindrance?_

_Will Lucca and Marle ever make it OUT of Chronopolis?_

_Will Slash ever wake up after that beating that Serge gave him?!_

_Find out next time on…. Radical Dreamer!_

--Ben


	23. Memories

Ahh… I enjoyed this chapter. And I'm sure you readers enjoy the fact that the chapters are being written so fast! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter too! It gets very emotional at the end.

Disclaimer: I've explained this WAY too many times… Sigh… I don't own CC or any of its characters. _But, if you see any characters that you don't recognize, most likely they're mine. These characters include Ana, (the deceased) Bob, and anyone else that belong to me. I also own the story!_

**Chapter 22: Memories**

Marle and Lucca ran through the main building of Chronopolis ignoring all security robots and traps. Those they couldn't ignore were blown apart by their strong magic. Now that they were free of Lynx's bondage, not to mention the anti-magic field that was focused on them, they could use their magic with ease.

An alarm pierced the air. Both Lucca and Marle cursed simultaneously. "Things just got harder, Marle! Keep an eye out!" Lucca yelled back at her as they ran. There was no need for that though for Marle had been thinking the exact same thing.

_SPLASH! "Good one, Glenn!" Serge said as the wave crashed back down into the water rocking the boat slightly. All the men, with the exception of Janus, and Melchior, whom they had left at the End of Time, were showing off their magic skills._

"Watch this!" Serge said as his eyes turned an eerie brown. There was an immediate disturbance in the ocean water. At one place, ripples formed. Suddenly, a huge, jagged rock shot up out of the ocean, only ten feet away from the boat, making everybody on the boat wet from the sudden splash.

"And this!" Far away, the air began to rotate. It rotated faster and faster, until a mini-cyclone formed. Soon, the cyclone began sucking up water like a vacuum. In a matter of minutes, there was a small waterspout only a few hundred feet away. Serge wasn't done though…

"Oh great." Marle exclaimed as the doors on either side of the large room closed. Lucca looked back at her and smiled, "We can just bust out. It'll be okay." That's when a mechanical whir was heard from above…

The waterspout seemed to slow as if it was being hindered by something. Starting around it in the ocean and moving up to the highest point of the cyclone, the water turned to ice. Minutes later there a huge ice statue in the shape of the waterspout. It only took second for the base of it to shatter and the statue to crash into the ocean created a huge splash.

"Serge… That was amazing!" Kidd said in awe. Serge just smiled sheepishly.

_CRASH! The large robot's fist crashed where Marle had just been standing seconds ago. The robot, a security measure made by Lynx, was humanoid in shape. It had four gigantic arms and two stubby legs. It could swivel its upper body around, so it had no use for the legs anyway. Its upper body, in addition to the arms, had four rapid-firing guns in the chest area, which had been destroyed early in the fight. The final part of the body was the head, which had one red 'eye' that went all around it, letting it see in all directions._

"Lucca! We got to get outta here! It's only going to be a little while until Lynx gets here!" Marle yelled at Lucca, who was on the other side of the monstrous robot. Although Marle could see it, Lucca smiled. "I agree, Marle. What do you say we use ol' Antipode?" Marle grinned, "Let's do it!"

"Come on. Tell me!" Harle demanded. Janus sighed, "Fine. Where did I leave off last time?" Harle thought about it for a moment, "Something about being taken in by Mystics."

When Lynx arrived, he was angered to find that his robot was more a puddle of molten steel than the great beast that it had once been. Lynx swore in anger. "Their magic is stronger than I thought. It rivals even mine." He saw the melted door on the other side of the room and smiled, "Their heading for the dock."

"The war was probably my most diabolical time. It's also the time I wish to forget the most." Lynx said. "I killed many soldiers in those years. I created the first demi-human during that time also. I remember it well…"

_Although rain poured down, Janus climbed the rock wall with ease. Ozzie, on the other hand, had a little bit more trouble. "Get up here, fool!" Janus hissed. "When we reach the top of this mountain, we'll be able to see **everything**! From here we'll be able to see all the way to the bridge! We'll be able to see any and all enemy placements!" _

_Suddenly, Ozzie called out, "Lord Magus! We're being followed!" Janus walked over to him and looked down. Surely enough, two men, one of which Janus recognized as the Knight Captain, the other was just a boy, were scaling the mountain not too far behind Janus and Ozzie._

_"The fool. He thinks he can come up here to stop us, does he? We'll see about that." Ozzie looked at him, "Will we bombard them with magic?" Janus smiled evilly, "No. Let them come. I want them to know who's the most powerful…"_

_KA-BOOM!!! The robot exploded with such ferocity that it sent Marle and Lucca sprawling. "You just had to make it mad, didn't you?" Marle asked sarcastically as they rose to their feet and began running toward the only dock in Chronopolis. "How was I supposed to know that it had a self-destruct sequence?" Lucca replied. Marle rolled her eyes, "I dunno. You're the smart one, remember?" Lucca was silent._

After a moment's hesitation, Janus continued with his story.

_Janus and Ozzie waited for them near the top. The Knight Captain, known as Cyrus, reached them in mere minutes. Surprisingly, the boy was able to keep up also. "Magus! This is your final hour! Today one of us will die, and it won't be me!" Cyrus said furiously when he saw the two. Janus said nothing._

_The fight began soon after. Cyrus took the first charge. Janus, who decided to toy with him a little while before destroying him, brought out a sword he had hidden in the folds of his cloak. He hadn't brought his scythe._

**_CLANG! _**_The swords met with unbridled ferocity. Janus found it hard to hold his ground in the mud created by the pouring rain. He wouldn't go letting Cyrus see that though._

_It only took minutes for Janus to realize that, although Janus had learned how to swordfight from the best Mystics, Cyrus had much more skill and speed than Janus ever had._

**_CLANG!_**_ The swords, once again, met with a clash, and, this time, Janus made the mistake of loosening his hand at the sharp pain that shot up his arm when the swords met. His sword flew out of his hands and off the mountain completely._

_Cyrus put the sword at Janus' throat. "I would have thought more to you, Magus, the one who has the blood of hundreds on his hands." Janus sneered, "That's the blood of **thousands**. Let me show you why." Lightning exploded from his hands and connected with Cyrus' highly conductive metal armor. Cyrus died long before he landed on the soft mud of the mountain._

_The boy, one who was, at the time, called Glenn, ran to Cyrus' side. It only took a few moments before he realized that the great Knight Captain, Cyrus, was gone._

_Janus watched as the boy reached for Cyrus' sword and stood to face him. _

_The boy was brave. Maybe even as brave Cyrus once was. But the bravery was short-lasted, because as soon as Janus sneered, with his sharpened teeth gleaming with saliva, all the courage and anger that the boy had worked up melted away like snow in summer. It was replaced with utter and total terror._

_Janus took a step closer to the boy. The boy held his ground, not because of valor, but just because he was too terrified to move._

_Finally, all that stood in between the boy and Janus a single toad. Janus looked at the frog in amusement. It didn't have the slightest clue about what was going to happen to it. An idea formed in Janus' head. 'Neither does the boy' He thought with a smirk._

Lucca ran into the room that held the dock. Marle was right on her tail. There was a single boat tied to the dock. In front of it stood a dark figure. It didn't take long for the two women to figure out who the figure was. "Lynx…"

_Strange colored lightning bolts shot out from Janus' hands. Instead of the normal white color, they were a deep blue. They struck the boy and he flew off the mountain to land on a ledge far below. If he had managed to live the fall, he would wake up to a big surprise…_

"It was an honorable attempt, my dear ladies. But I'm afraid I have to cut it short. I can't have you escaping. Not when I need you the most." Lynx said while walking toward the stunned women. His walk was cut short as a wall of flame exploded upward from the ground. The edges of the wall of fire moved to meet each other, forming a smoldering circle of death around Lynx.

"Go, Marle! Get the boat ready! I can't hold him here forever!" Lucca yelled. Marle nodded and ran to the lone boat. Lucca returned her attention to her fire. She smiled, "Let's turn up the heat some, shall we?" The boundary of the circle of fire moved inward, inching closer and closer to the trapped Lynx inside…

"Glenn, forever known from then as Frog, was the very first demi-human." Janus said with a tint of sadness in his voice. "As the war progressed, I began experimentation with humans. I said it was for the good of the Mystics, but it wasn't that. I was just mad. Mad at the world…" Janus paused. "_I created the demi-human race. It started with Glenn and was continued on by nearly all prisoners that I received in that war…"_

Harle was silent. How could this _Magus be the Janus that she had grown to like and maybe even love? How could __her Janus be that cruel? __It's no better than burning down an orphanage… She thought grimly. Finally, she smiled, "It's all in the past, Janus. You are no longer that man. Just like I am no longer the Harle that followed Lynx everywhere, you are no longer Magus."_

The flames grew even brighter and hotter when the ring closed. Lucca didn't see any sign of Lynx and she knew that the flames were easily hot enough to incinerate any living creature. But even with this in mind, she knew that something was wrong. There was no way that Lynx was dead yet. Her suspicions were proven right seconds later…

_WHAM! Lynx brought his hands down on Lucca with such force that she went sprawling. "That was a nice trick you made there. I never even suspected a thing." Lucca spun around onto her back to glare at Lynx._

Once again a wall of fire sprang up in front of Lynx. Lucca used this time to look back at Marle who was standing the boat. Marle got the hint and she began concentrating…

Lynx smirked and easily dispelled the wall of fire in front of him. That wouldn't fool him twice. No, he was going to get caught by something else…

The block of ice flew through the air with amazing speed. It was easily three times Lynx's size, and it probably weighed more than _ten times his weight. Lynx didn't even see it coming until it was too late._

The ice smashed into Lynx and carried him all the way into the metal wall thirty feet behind him. The ice was moving with such velocity that it imbedded itself, along with Lynx, deep into the wall. Although it didn't kill him as Marle had hoped, it _had knocked him unconscious and that was enough for the two women…_

"So, shortly after the incident in Zeal, I joined up with Crono and the rest of them and, ultimately, saved the world. Then, we all went back to our own times. But for some unknown reason, when I stepped into the time portal, I was transported, not to 12,000 B.C., but to just a few years back from now." Harle nodded, "I see… And from there you searched for Kidd until you found her?" Janus nodded, "More or less." Harle smiled, "You see! That wasn't so hard!" Janus rolled his eyes and turned to watch the ocean.

"Serge, mate." Kidd said. Serge turned to look at her, "Yeah?"

"Do you think we could rest at Marbule tonight? I could use a good night's sleep in a _bed before going up against Lynx." Serge thought about it for a moment, "Yeah. That'd be kinda nice." He turned to the rest of the people on the boat, "Guys. We're gonna be stopping at Marbule tonight. We're gonna get a good night's sleep before tomorrow." Most of the people on the boat cheered in some way or form. In fact, this made everybody, but Harle and Janus, happy. Harle and Janus were silent._

"Look!" Marle yelled over the sound of the loud engine. "A city!" She pointed at a large island that was just barely on the horizon.

"Okay. Here you go." Serge said as he handed the bug-like demi-human the money needed for the rooms. Serge turned to his group, "You guys go ahead. I'm going to take a walk." Kidd looked at him, "I'll come with you." Serge nodded and the two walked out of the inn.

Serge and Kidd walked on the shoreline in complete silence, watching the sunset, for many minutes. Finally, Kidd broke the silence, "This is it, mate. Tomorrow, we go up against Lynx. Tomorrow's… the day… Serge?" Kidd noticed that Serge was preoccupied by something. "Serge? What is it?" Serge pointed at a beached boat.

It wasn't a type of boat that Serge was familiar with. The _markings on the boat were…_

"Kidd…" Serge said quietly. Kidd looked back at him and gasped. Serge looked like he had just seen a ghost. "Kidd, do you recognize… the markings on that boat?" Kidd looked closely at the boat and gasped. Her face turned pale. "That's… that's Chronopolis markings…" She said, her voice quivering.

When Serge and Kidd got close enough, they peered inside the boat. Two people, the looked like women, laid facedown in the boat. Kidd and Serge only hesitated a moment before running the rest of the way to the boat and pulling the women out. Serge could easily hear the heavy breathing of both of them. "They're okay. Just asleep. Let's take them back to the inn." Kidd nodded and each of them cradled one of them women in their arms and they trudged back to the inn. In the darkness of night, they couldn't see the faces that belonged to the strangers…

Each of the candles in the room that Serge and Kidd had brought the women to exploded to life when they entered the room. They decided to bring the women to the girl's room because, well, the strangers were both women, not to mention, the girls had an available bed.

Serge and Kidd laid the women on one bed and pulled away. Their faces were still in shadow because of the dimness of the candles.

Ana groaned, "What's goin' on?" She asked while she rose from her bed. "We're about to find out…" Serge said, never tearing his eyes from the two women. Even in the darkness, the one that he had been carrying looked very familiar.

Serge concentrated for a moment and a fireball appeared, floating, a few feet above the bed. There was complete silence for many moments as the faces of the women were processed in the heads of Serge, Kidd, and Ana. It was Ana who finally broke the silence, "Mom?!"

Kidd was the next to speak, "S—sis?" She said hesitantly. Serge looked to Kidd and to Ana. Both of them were completely astonished at the two women lying in the bed.

Serge ran to get the others. When he arrived at the men's room, a large fireball exploded in the middle of it, jarring everyone from his sleep. "Get up! Hurry!" The men exclaimed their anger at being awakened so rudely, but Serge was already gone…

When Serge got back to the women's room, he found Kidd and Ana still in the same place as when he had left. Only this time, tears streamed down each of their faces. The only other difference was that Harle stood behind them peering over their shoulders at the two women on the bed. She, too, was astonished at their findings.

The rest of them men entered the room seconds later. Out of all of them, Janus was the only one who recognized the two women. He chuckled, "It figures. Two people, long thought dead, alive before us." His voice jarred Kidd from her surprise and she whirled to face Harle.

Kidd shook with anger as she stared Harle down. "You…" She said trying to gain her voice. "You… You didn't tell me?!" She suddenly exploded with anger. "She was alive and you left me in the dark about it?!" Anybody could see that Harle was terrified of Kidd at this point. Kidd brought her hand back to slap Harle, but her hand was stopped, last second, by Janus. "Let her explain." He said calmly.

Harle relaxed slightly, but her voice gave away the fear that she still felt, "Lynx… Lynx didn't always tell me everything. I had no idea that they were alive. Lynx told me that he had killed them long ago." She said meekly. Kidd didn't buy it, "You liar!" Kidd lunged at Harle, but, once again, Janus' hand stopped her. "Stop. She's telling the truth."

Kidd spun around to face Janus. "How would _you know?" She snarled. Janus smiled, "If she knew that they were alive, she would have told me." He said simply._

Kidd wrenched away from Janus' grasp and turned back to the bed-ridden women. "Fine." She hissed. Serge moved to comfort her, but all he received was a snarl. "Leave me alone." She said quietly right before she stormed out of the room.

Serge started walking out of after her, but he was stopped by the commanding voice of Janus. "Stop. She needs to be alone." Serge looked back at Janus. The pain in his eyes was easily, visible even in shadows of the room. Finally, he shook his head and ran out the door in search for Kidd…

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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA (I'm cackling like a madman) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm _evil!!! HAHAHA… HA… Ha… Ha… Okay, I'm done. Ahh… I love cliffhangers, don't you…? No, probably not… Oh well. Too bad! Anyway, how'd you like it? Good? Bad? Ugly? Tell me!!! I want my reviews!!! Ahem. R&R!_

_Will Serge find Kidd?_

_Will Marle and Lucca wake up?_

_Will Ben ever stop trying to extend the story and finish it?!_

_Find out next week (not really) on… (Drum roll)… Radical Dreamer!_

--Ben


	24. Surprise, Surprise

…This took me a long time to get put up… Sorry! Work has been giving me lots of hours now that school's started up again! When you're home schooled, you can work hours that other teens can't during the school year… Oh well! I'm getting paid for it, so… Bring it on! Ahem… Anyway the chapters up now… Sigh… So close to the end… the next one will be… the… final… battle… _Sigh… I'll probably only be able to fit one more chapter after that too! __Sigh. I wish I didn't have to finish it… Oh well! Back to the chapter! READ!_

I don't own CC or any of its characters. Squaresoft, and _only Squaresoft, does. I own Ana, Bob, and the story though!_

**Chapter 23: Surprise, Surprise**

Lynx groaned slightly. He tried to move, but found he couldn't. His eyes snapped open and he looked straight into a huge boulder of ice. Memories of the events that had passed flooded his mind and he roared in anger.

Harle looked at the door where Kidd and Serge had both run out of. She sighed. "I'll be right back."

Crono heard Lynx walking back toward the area where he was chained to the wall. The grumbling and occasional roar that Lynx gave told Crono all he needed to know. They had made it out…

It didn't take Serge long to find Kidd. She was right where he thought she'd be. The boat from Chronopolis…

Serge began walking toward Kidd but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned around and found himself surprised to see Harle there. "I'll talk to her." She said. Serge was apprehensive at the idea of the two girls being alone so he agreed only if he could be nearby 'just in case'.

Harle walked closer to Kidd and cleared her throat. Kidd looked up only a second before turning back to the boat. "What do you want?" She asked right before setting the boat ablaze.

Harle looked at the burning boat and gulped. She didn't feel the least bit comforted by the fact that Serge was near.

Marle emitted a soft groan and she opened her eyes. At first, all she saw was a jumble of colors, but, after a little while, the colors formed shapes. The shapes took the forms of three people, two men and one girl, crowding around the bed where she lay. She didn't recognize any of them. At least not until she saw a third man that leaning against the wall across from her.

Marle's breath caught and she coughed. After being cooped up in a single room for thirteen years, barely ever being let out for fresh air, the air was harsh to her lungs.

After a few hacking coughs, she was able to speak. "Janus. Never thought I'd see you again." She said with a wink. Janus opened his eyes, "Surprise, surprise. The Prin—ahem, excuse me, the _Queen awakens." Marle was about to reply, but soft sobbing originating from the girl stopped her…_

"I need to talk to you." Harle said plainly. Kidd looked up at her and scoffed, "We have nothing to talk about." She began walking away. Harle simply appeared in front of her. "You're wrong, Kidd. We have _plenty to talk about."_

Marle looked at the crying girl and back at Janus quizzically. Janus smirked, "Why don't you ask her. She's _your daughter." Marle was silent. She looked back at the girl. __Blonde hair, red highlights. My facial structure. Crono's… eyes. Oh, Goddess. She's… "Ana?!"_

"Kidd! Can't you just give me a chance?" Harle cried as Kidd pushed past her. Kidd whirled around, "_Give you a chance?! You want me to give you a **chance**?!" Kidd practically screamed in Harle's face. "Like you gave __me a chance?! Like you gave Lucca… a… chance?" Kidd's own words dawned on her. __Lucca's… alive._

"Lucca's alive. I don't know why Lynx kept her alive, but she _is. We can put that behind us." Kidd's eyes widened, "Put it behind us…? Put it behind us?! What about the innocents that you killed?! Should I put __that behind me too?!" Harle sighed heavily. She didn't want to use this, but… "You gave Janus another chance, didn't you?"_

Kidd froze in disbelief of what Harle had just said. The worst part about it; she was right. Kidd, or at least Schala, _had forgiven Janus. Just as she had forgiven Karsh after bugging them when she first met up with Serge. Just as she had forgiven Schala after she merged the dimensions._

Ana stopped crying immediately at the sound of her name… originating from her mother's voice! She looked into the loving eyes of her mother and salty tears, once again, splashed down her cheeks. Marle was having the same reaction. Slowly, tentatively, as if they would break each other, they embraced.

Kidd gritted her teeth and tried to push past Harle again. She had no such luck this time, for Harle just moved with her and ended in front of her again. "Would you just leave me alone?!" Kidd cried out suddenly. Harle shook her head, "Not until you hear me out." Kidd sighed and plopped down on a large rock. "You got five minutes."

"Oh, Ana, I missed you so much!" Marle cried. They still hadn't let go of each other. Ana just nodded, too overwhelmed to speak. They held each other like that for what seemed to be a long time. Ten minutes later they separated and were surprised to find that the others had left.

"Kidd, all I want is for you to be willing to forgive me. I'm not asking for you to be my friend. I just want… forgiveness." Kidd couldn't think of what to say, so she just decided to stay silent.

Harle sighed heavily, "Okay. I understand." She began walking off. She stopped once to look back at Kidd. She was scowling now. Harle sighed once more and walked back toward the inn.

Kidd scowled. _Why can't I just say those words? She's obviously not the same person she used to be… and I have no reason to hold Lucca's kidnapping against her… she was just following orders… from Lynx and the dragons… Kidd kept on thinking to herself._

Kidd was so engrossed in her thoughts that she never heard the figure walk up behind her. "Ya know. It's usually _me who gets lost in thought." Kidd jumped at Serge's voice and then laughed. "Yeah. It usually is. So… I guess you were listening?" Serge nodded. Kidd sighed, "What do you think I should do?" Serge was silent. Finally, he spoke, "I think you __know what you should do. It's the question 'What __will you do?' that's the one that really matters."_

Kidd sighed, Serge was right. She knew he was. It was just… Harle? She had to _forgive Harle? It was something that Kidd had never even fathomed until now. "I know… But it's just…forgiving Harle… what she did…" Serge nodded, "Everybody deserves a second chance, Kidd. You were a thief and you got one. Why can't Harle get one?" Kidd was silent. __Why did he have to use ME as an example? She wondered angrily._

"What happened? Where were you?" Ana asked excitably. Marle sighed, "I—_we were being held by Lynx. I… don't know why he kept us alive, but he did for thirteen years. Only recently did Lucca break loose from her chains and free me. From there, we 'commandeered' a boat and, somehow, found our way here, not before kicking Lynx's butt in a battle though." Marle grinned at Ana._

Something passed through Ana's mind. Something that terrified her and excited her at the same time. Something that she wanted to avoid asking, but she knew she had to. "Is dad… alive?"

Serge put an arm around Kidd. "Think about it." Kidd sighed and nodded. "I will, Serge. I promise." Serge smiled, "Good. Now, let's get back there before they wake up." Kidd grinned and stood. Serge stood up after and they started walking back toward the inn.

Marle blinked. She couldn't believe that she hadn't told Ana! "Lynx kept us _all alive, Ana. __All of us. Including your father." Ana nodded, "He didn't come, did he?" Marle sighed heavily, "No. After Lucca got me out, he told us to leave. We didn't have enough time to free him…" Ana nodded, "We'll get him. I promise." Marle looked at her quizzically. Ana sighed, "I'll tell you later."_

Serge and Kidd walked into the inn and found the entire group, minus Ana, in the men's room, talking in low tones. When Serge and Kidd walked into the room, the group went silent.

Glenn stood, "Serge. We were talking about what we'll do next. We were thinking about taking an extra day—." A voice behind Serge cut Glenn off. "We leave as planned." Serge whirled around and found three girls standing behind him. The one who had spoken was Ana. The other two, Marle and Lucca, were silent.

For a long time, Kidd couldn't speak. She couldn't even breathe as she looked at Lucca. Lucca seemed to be having a similar reaction.

The group filed out of the room, letting Lucca and Kidd have their time alone.

"You've grown so much, Kidd." Lucca said quietly. Kidd just nodded, unable to speak. "And you look so much like her…" Kidd frowned inwardly at that. It wasn't exactly what she was _hoping to hear, but that was okay. "What have you been up to since…?" Lucca trailed off._

"I'm Serge." Serge shook Marle's hand. Marle smiled brightly, "I _know who __you are.  Lynx was always raving on about __you. When he thought we weren't listening or we were asleep, he would often talk to himself. It was very weird. Anyway, he'd often say things about you. About how you had foiled his plans, or he had underestimated you. Lately, it seems that he's been doing it more often. It's as if he's getting worried…" Marle trailed off as she saw Ana and the boy she was standing next to. It was more their __hands that she was looking at though. Their hands were intertwined in one another._

"Ahh… Ana, introduce this boy to me." Ana blushed deeply, "I… uh… I mean…" The boy smiled and let go of her hand so he could shake Marle's hand. "I'm Glenn." Marle smiled, "I knew someone that went by the name Glenn before… He was a frog… literally." That got a couple of laughs from the group. Ana cleared her throat, "I'll introduce you. You know Serge and Glenn… This is Karsh." She said indicating Karsh. They shook hands. "And this is Harle. I guess you already know Janus too…" Ana thought about something for a moment, "I don't know if you remember Kidd, but—" Marle cut her off, "I know _exactly who Kidd is."_

"Now, tell me about this adventure you have been having. I know a little bit from Lynx's grumbling, but not much." Ana looked to Serge. "I… think we'll tell you when Kidd and Lucca come back. That way we won't have to say it twice." She said.

"After Lynx… _kidnaped you, a man ran into the room and pulled me out. I just found out recently that the man was Serge." Lucca's eyes widened, "How could Serge save you?" Kidd smiled, "A little help from his heart and a lot of help from the Mastermune, that's how. Oh yeah. Can't forget the Time Egg either." Kidd winked. Lucca grinned, "Ahh… the Time Egg. I get it now. You know. I've heard that the Time Egg only works if the person using it is very passionate about what he or she is doing…" Kidd blushed, "Uh… yeah… anyway, after that I went looking for you. I traveled the Zenon Continent over and over again. Living off of what I could beg from others. Being as young as I was, __that wasn't too hard._

"Anyway. During my travels, I met up with the Radical Dreamers. A renowned group of thieves. I traveled with them for about eight or nine years until I broke away from them and headed to El Nido after hearing that Lynx was going there. From there, I met up with Serge and… well… I'll let him explain the rest. He'll be able to explain it better."

The door opened and Lucca and Kidd stepped in. Serge gave her a reassuring smile. "Okay. Now that we have everybody here, we can start. There are no changes in the plans. We still leave tomorrow. Get some sleep everybody. Oh and Lucca? Marle? If you two are planning on coming too, I'd suggest that you get some sleep too. It's gonna be a _long day tomorrow."_

The next morning, nine people woke up at dawn and boarded a medium-sized boat.

"Okay. It all started about twenty-two years ago. It began with only seven people. These seven people, who will remain nameless, saved the world, through time travel, from a creature so monstrous, so evil, that it's food was the planet itself." Marle and Lucca laughed. Even Janus cracked a small smile. Serge smiled and continued, "Or so they thought. You see, they managed to destroy the physical self of the creature. But, they didn't destroy its _true self. For you see, this creature, which will be known as Lavos, didn't only eat planets. It __actually devoured __time itself. A different set of heroes defeated this one. Not through time travel though, but through traveling the dimensions. This is __their story."_

Serge was trying as hard as he could to cheer up his friends. He knew that they had to be ready, not only physically, but also emotionally, for the battle that was going to happen soon. He knew that it was possible that some of them might not make it out and he needed to keep their spirits up.

"Two years ago, I was doing a favor for a friend. She's one of my best friends now, but she was more my girlfriend then. And because I had slept in and ended up missing our date, I was sent to collect some rare Komodo Dragon scales." Marle scoffed none too quietly, "You'd like Crono. You two are so much alike. Complete with laziness." Serge grinned, "If he's anything like me, he must be a very happy and fun guy to be around with." Marle smiled, "Yeah. As long as you aren't on the wrong side of his katana."

"So began the fight. Lynx, in my body, was powerful, but he underestimated my friends and me. We defeated him, but not easily. But before any of us could deliver the finishing blow, he disappeared. We decided not to worry about it very much at the time because we were so close to restoring me to my body." Serge's story seemed grow different from when he started.

_Serge slashed at Lynx with his twin blades and Lynx, in Serge's body, roared in pain and frustration. "Give it up, Lynx! It's over!" Serge yelled. Lynx smirked, "Funny. I can remember Kidd saying the same thing." Serge bared his sharp teeth. "You are going to pay if you even harmed a hair on her head, Lynx! You will pay!" Serge let loose his bottled-up fury and attacked Lynx mercilessly._

_Lynx had been outnumbered three to one. He had been keeping the battle at a stand still even with the bad odds. Now though, it seemed Serge was a different person. He went from the good-at-fighting-but-not-good-enough boy, to a warrior. For once ever since he had switched bodies, Lynx missed his old one. The old body had the thick fur that was like a lion's mane. Thick and hard to get through. Now, Serge had that advantage and Lynx was stuck with pitiful armor that had no use most of the time._

_Serge landed yet another blow, this time across Lynx's face leaving a bloody gash from his ear to his mouth. It was followed by another slashing movement that connected with Lynx's arm._

_Lynx grit his teeth and jumped back, away from the enraged teenager. "I sorely underestimated you, Chrono Trigger. You are a better fighter than I thought. But how about this?" The room seemed to grow dark and blood red eyes appeared out of thin air behind Lynx. Suddenly, the eyes sprang forward, bodies forming behind them. It Serge hadn't been getting hit so hard because of it, he would have seen that the bodies were like the bodies of cats._

_"You like that? I'm not sure what to call it. It's either Feral Cats or Cats Reign. What do you think?" Lynx asked almost casually. Serge, who had been knocked down because of the intensity of the attack, groaned slightly and slowly climbed to his feet._

_Serge slowly walked toward Lynx his hand clenched. What Lynx didn't know was that there was something **in** the clenched hand._

_Lightning seemed to form a sphere around Lynx. Lynx looked up and growled. FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! The lightning pummeled Lynx to the point he fell to the ground. After the element 'Electrobolt' finished, Lynx was lying on the ground, barely conscious. "Where is she, Lynx?" Serge asked through gritted teeth. Lynx groaned slightly then smiled. "I'd tell you, but I've got people to see seas to kill. Bye!" Lynx vanished. "Seas… to kill?" Serge figured out the hint seconds later. "He's going to the Dead Sea."_

Serge sighed heavily at the memory. Marle laughed, "Yep. You're just like Crono. Always getting lost in thought." Serge laughed, "Yeah… that's me. Anyway, after getting my body back, I along with my friends, old and new, went to the Dead Sea, finding the strange city, Chronopolis…"

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There ya go! And this is the part where you push the little button on the bottom-right side of the page that says 'Click here to submit review'… Please! _Sigh_… I don't know how long it will be for the next chapter to be put up. It might be days or it might be… _many_ days. I'll try to get it up soon, but I can't make promises. I've gotta make it the best one yet and all, so I'm giving this one more attention. So until then… R&R!

--Ben

BTW, Jedijessie, Smile! God loves you too! ;-)


	25. When You Have Friends Like These

Ahh… It took me a while, but I got it up! Ahem… Um… Nope, the final fight doesn't start yet! That's right, I found a way to postpone the end by another chapter! Ahem… well… I hope you enjoy this one!

I don't own CC or any of its characters. I own whoever else who _wasn't in CC or CT though! I own the story too, so… ha!****_

**Chapter 24: When You Have Friends Like These…**

Serge looked at the strange, discolored water in front of the boat. He sighed, "This is it." He signaled for Karsh to turn the engine back on. It roared to sputtering life and the boat was propelled forward in the lighter colored water. 

Immediately, Serge felt lightheaded. The first indication that they were going through a portal. The second was the falling feeling that everybody felt. And the last was the fact the entire scenery changed from an ocean to an ocean with a large island in the middle of it.

The boat spluttered forward and the nine came closer and closer to their goal. Finally, as they came within a hundred meters of the island, Serge held up a hand to tell Karsh to stop the engine.

"Okay. This is it. I don't know what's going to happen in here. I don't know if we'll all make it out alive… I _do know this though; we __will win. Lynx will not walk away from this. He __will pay." Serge said emotionally. "And I want to remind you… I want to remind you of what I asked earlier. I know that this is going to be hard to listen to, but you all know the prophecy. If I lose it in there, if somehow Lynx gains control over me, I want you to not see me as Serge. I want you to see me as something that's standing in the way of your vengeance. Of your goal. If you have to, it's my will that you not hold back. I couldn't live with myself if I knew that __I was the cause of our loss. I don't want to be the reason why some of us don't make it. Please… don't hesitate to strike me down." The attitude of the group changed then. Nobody dared cry, but all of them wanted to. They were no longer the happy group that they had been minutes before._

Serge nodded at Karsh and he restarted the engine. The boat was, once again, propelled toward island where the large dome of Chronopolis lay…

Lynx smiled evilly at the boat that grew closer. "Yes. Come, Chrono Trigger. Come…"

Serge finished wrapping the rope around the large peg that rose up from the dock. He stood back up and looked at the docked boat. He sighed knowing that this may be the last time he'd see it. He turned to his friends, "Let's go."

_CRASH! The robot's arms came down with a crash. "Lucca! I thought we already destroyed this thing!" Marle called out to Lucca. The robot, which they had destroyed earlier, was harassing the entire group this time. It had some new additions this time too. It no longer had automatic guns on it. No, now it had __missile launchers. __Ka-boom!_

Serge growled slightly at the fact that his life had nearly ended seconds before. "Everybody stand back!" His friends complied and he smiled. The robot shot another missile at Serge. The missile never even had a chance to leave its launcher before it exploded because of a large lightning bolt…

Lynx looked at the screen in confusion. "That looked almost like a magic attack… Serge doesn't know magic… right?" Lynx snarled and began walking to a nearby elevator. "I'd better get ready… They'll be here soon."

It didn't take long for the group to make it past any distractions that Lynx had in store for them. They were in no way ready for what was going to happen next…

The elevator moved up slowly, taking them past the fourth floor and into the hidden floors. _This is it… Serge thought as the elevator slowed to a stop. __From here on out, I have to be extremely careful with my emotions. I can't let Lynx take control of me again…_

The elevator gave a buzzing sound and the doors slid open. Serge peered in the metal-walled room. Other than a large computer screen against the far wall, it was empty. Serge stepped into the room slowly. And then, the peacefulness was destroyed…

Crono leapt down on the blue-haired teenager with only one thing on his mind. _Kill!_

Serge reacted immediately and just barely dodged the sharp katana. He whirled around to face Lynx… and he was met with a dream. Or, at least, a _man from a dream._

"Crono?! What are you doing?!" Marle screamed at her deranged husband. Crono didn't even take the time to turn and look at her. He just kicked backward and his foot connected squarely with her gut with a thud.

Ana screamed and knelt by her mom. She looked at Marle and sighed a sigh of relief. Marle had only been knocked unconscious. Not… worse.

"Hello, Chrono Trigger." Crono said. _He's talking like Lynx. He's being… controlled! Serge realized._

Serge backed up some to get away from the elevator and give himself and Crono more room to fight. "Crono, right?" Serge said calmly. Crono didn't reply. He just kept walking toward the teenager. Serge noticed blankly that Crono not only had _one katana, but he had __two._

"Crono. You gotta snap out of it." Serge said. Crono still didn't answer. "Think about your family. You know. You have your wife and _daughter in that elevator." Crono stopped for a moment and Serge thought that he had broken the mind-control. That's when Crono leapt forward at Serge._

Serge cried out in surprise as the katana flew towards him. But when the katana reached him, he was no longer there…

Serge stood at the other side of the room. "Snap out of it!" He called to the confused man. Crono stared at Serge for a second. _What did he mean by 'snap out of it'? He wondered. Finally, after a few seconds, Crono discarded the thoughts and began walking toward Serge._

"That was a nice trick you played, boy. I won't fall for it again though." Crono said darkly as he continued his approach. Serge sighed. This wasn't working.

Crono dashed forward with speed that rivaled Serge's and the fight began…

Meanwhile, back on the elevator, Ana was trying to revive her mother while the others watched in amazement at the battle. That is until a woman stepped into the room through a door that hadn't been seen before…

The woman had never felt such power before. Images of battles and death filled her mind as Lynx gained more and more control of her. Hatred flowed through her until all other emotions were forgotten. Lynx gave her a sword, "Go. Make Serge pay for what he did to you." She nodded and walked through the lone door in the room.

Serge back flipped and then rushed at Crono. He slammed into him with amazing speed and Crono went sprawling across the polished steel. Serge was about to continue his assault, but he was stopped as he saw a red-haired woman step into the room. "L—Leena?"

Leena walked toward the group, minus Serge, whilst images and memories filled her head. Images of Serge being late for countless dates. The times that Serge just didn't show up at all. The time Serge just disappeared and didn't dare come back for nearly a week saying that he was looking for a creature called a hydra.

Many emotions ran through Leena as she neared them. All the others were replaced with hatred when the final memory came along. This was the worst memory of them all. _Leena and Serge sat on Arni's dock. "I love Kidd." Is what Serge said. "I love Kidd and I hate you, Leena." Leena blinked. __That's not how it was… He said that he loved Kidd, but he never said he hated me! The memory was replayed in Leena's mind. __"I hate you, Leena." Anger flooded Leena. __How dare he tell me that he hates me?! But… he didn't say that… Leena wrestled with her thoughts for a few seconds before she was completely lost to the memories… __Kidd will pay for what she did… She will pay!_

"Leena? What are you doing here?" Karsh asked when he saw Leena. Leena paid him no attention. Karsh moved toward her. "Leena?"

Janus looked at Leena in bewilderment. _What's going on? It's as if she doesn't even hear him… Realization hit him seconds later. "Karsh! Stay back!"_

Karsh didn't even notice Janus' warning. He just kept walking toward Leena. "Leena? Leena, what are you—" Leena swiped at him with her sword and Karsh barely dodged it. "Leena! What are you…?" Karsh figured it out. "No… No! Leena! Snap out of it!"

Leena ignored the annoying voice. Her entire being was focused on but one thing. _Revenge._

Janus stepped in front of Kidd ready to protect his sister with his own life, if he had to. "Stay back." He commanded. Leena laughed, not having a clue what she was getting into…

_Crap, was all Janus could think about now. Janus could kill Leena with a thought, and she didn't know it. __I can't possibly kill her! Against me, it's as if she's defenseless!_

Leena didn't stop her approach. Nothing, and this included some weird looking man, would get in her way of revenge. _After this, I can kill Serge for betraying me!_

Serge sighed in relief as he saw that the situation with Leena would be handled. He turned his attention back to Crono, who, surprisingly, wasn't lying on the ground anymore.

Crono seethed. _He has much skill in close combat. I must try a different approach…_

_FLASH! An impossibly large lightning bolt shot toward Serge with speeds only lightning could reach. Serge didn't even have a chance to __think about dodging it._

Serge flew backward and crashed, painfully, into the wall behind him. After a few seconds, he stood up, his clothes charred and smoking. What he saw made him wish that he had never begun this fight in the first place.

Crono's eyes were pure white as he floated higher and higher, until he could've touched the top of the ceiling if he had just raised his hand.

_Crap… CRAP! It's Luminaire! Serge looked for a place he could hide to escape the fury of the magic attack. But he, being one who had used it countless times before, knew that its fury was impossible to escape._

Janus cursed. _Crono. Why did it have to be you who we had to fight?_

_Ka-Boom! The first explosion was powerful enough to make Serge to slam into the wall again. Serge watched fearfully as the ring of white fire tore up and disfigured the metal floor. __So this is what it is like for the people I fight. Serge thought wildly as the explosions rocketed toward him._

Janus watched as the explosions neared them. "Everybody! Get over here! I'm going to get us out of here!" A purple mist immediately seeped upward from the floor. When the others saw this, they huddled around Janus. In the last second, Karsh was able to catch Leena off guard and grab her, forcing the sword from her hand. Together, nine people were teleported away from the destruction, while Serge was hit with the bulk of it.

The group appeared just a few feet outside of Chronopolis. They watched in horror as the top floor of Chronopolis exploded, sending shrapnel flying in all directions.

Kidd sunk to her knees. "Serge… no…" Leena broke from Karsh's grasp and ran toward Kidd, weaponless. "I'll kill you!" She was tackled and held to the ground by Glenn.

Janus looked up at the large building sadly. _He was so young. So powerful. He was one of the most powerful men alive… Something shot through Janus' mind. Up at the top of the building, he sensed Crono, but that wasn't all he sensed…_

Serge groaned slightly and rubbed his head. "That hurt worse than when I got hit by the earth dragon's tail…" He began remembering the experience, but shook it off. _Now's not the time to get caught up in thoughts._

Serge sat up and was surprised to find that he had just barely been on the wreckage that was once Chronopolis' top floor. He stood and watched as Crono lowered to the ground, his eyes just now regaining their green color.

Tears rolled down Kidd's cheeks. _Nobody could have lived through that… Not even Serge… Janus looked down at Kidd. He put a hand on her shoulder and smiled at her when she looked up at him. "What are you smiling about?!" Kidd yelled at him. Janus just smiled wider and pointed upward at Chronopolis. A pillar of flame shot out into the sky and Kidd's eyes widened. "He… he's alive?"_

Serge blasted more fire at Crono, but he kept dodging it. Serge was about ready to unleash _Holy Fire on him, but he stopped himself, remembering that this was __Crono. __The Crono. Ana's father and Marle's husband. Serge couldn't possibly take him away from them now that they just found each other again._

Crono was exhausted by now. He didn't even have enough strength to summon up anything but a weak lightning attack. He just barely had enough strength to dodge the attacks that Serge was unleashing on him. And even that strength was dying fast. _I've got to attack him now while I still can. He thought to himself._

"Let me go!" Leena cried, still trying to get to Kidd. Janus sighed and cast a paralyzing spell on her. Karsh looked up at Janus in confusion. Janus smiled, "She's only paralyzed. By the time she can move again, Lynx will be dead and the mind-control will be over with."

Crono charged toward Serge with amazing speed. Serge, who was beginning to tire himself, just barely blocked the first katana. He nearly had the Mastermune knocked out of his hands when the second katana hit.

_CLANG! Katana met Mastermune in an angry clash. __CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! Serge thrust his Mastermune forward and caught Crono in the chest with the wooden pole. This maneuver caused Crono to become off balance and Serge seized the moment by going on the offensive…_

Janus and the others appeared at the top of Chronopolis minutes later. They were just in time to see Serge start attacking Crono furiously. Marle, who had finally been revived, gasped as Crono's life was nearly ended by a near miss.

Serge's mind screamed at him. _You're going to hard! One lucky hit and Crono's dead! Serge didn't stop though. __CLASH! The katana in Crono's left hand flew off Chronopolis to the crashing waves below._

Crono's eyes flashed with anger. He jumped back and then rushed forward again, swinging expertly with his katana… _CLANG! And Serge blocked it easily. __CLANG! Another block. __CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! Crono was getting slower as exhaustion set in. __CLANG!_

Kidd watched as Serge blocked _every single swing that Crono sent at him. It was as if it wasn't even a challenge for him anymore. __WHAM! Serge slammed the Mastermune forward and caught Crono in the chest with the wooden pole sending him sprawling onto the twisted floor._

Crono watched as Serge came closer and closer to him. He strangely felt nothing. No fear. No excitement. No anything. He was strangely… empty. The hatred was gone. But his old feelings hadn't returned. He was just… confused. Why _was he fighting? Why __wouldn't he fight? Why __shouldn't he fight? Why __should he? Then, Crono went into overdrive…_

_Crap! Serge screamed in his mind as Crono attacked him with renewed vigor. Crono yelled a loud war cry as he attacked Serge. Serge was just barely able to bring the Mastermune up in time to block the maneuver._

Crono swung his katana expertly with one hand. He kept attacking Serge with upward X-like movements. The result was that Serge couldn't get a move in. He could only block.

Serge's energy drained faster than before as Crono's attacks became faster and faster. He felt his grip on the Mastermune begin to slip as his arms tired. Finally, with a clash, the Mastermune went flying across the open room and landed on the other side.

Crono looked at Serge. The hunger for blood shone in his eyes. Crono stopped the X-like maneuvers and brought the katana up above his head. "Now you die, Chrono Trigger."

Serge watched as the katana flew down at his head with amazing speed. Serge's eyes were wide as the katana dropped, and he did the best thing he could think of at the time… he blasted away with magic…

_FWOOSH! Holy, white flames rushed over Crono. Because of his powerful nature and his worked-for resistance to magic, he wasn't disintegrated immediately by the powerful magic. He was, however, knocked unconscious and was barely alive when he stopped sliding across the floor. There was a dark trail of blood that traced his slide._

Ana put a hand over her mouth and Marle gasped at the sight of Crono lying on the ground, barely alive. "Crono!" Marle ran to her husband's side. Her hands were already glowing blue by the time she got there.

Marle placed her hands on Crono's chest and the blue light spread from her hands to him as the healing magic did its work. Soon, blood stopped flowing from the wounds that Crono had received and they closed, leaving dark scars.

Crono coughed slightly and opened his eyes. To his surprise, he found himself staring into Marle's blue eyes. "Marle? Wha—what happened?" Marle smiled, "I told you I'd come back, and I did! And… I brought someone who I think you'd like to meet along with me…" Another girl stepped into view and Crono sat up. He recognized her immediately. "Ana?" He asked hesitantly.

Ana smiled and hugged her father. "I've missed you so much." She said as tears began to flow from her eyes. Crono smiled and tears began to form in his eyes. "I've missed you too."

Serge grinned at the sight of Ana and Crono hugging each other. Kidd ran to him and embraced him. The healing powers that she received from Schala flowed through her and Serge was energized as injuries disappeared as if they had never been there. That's when he heard the steady clicking of boots not unlike his own.

All joy in the group was obliterated when Lynx stepped into view. "Aw… isn't that so cute? Well, sorry to interrupt your little 'family time', but I believe we all have unfinished business to attend to." He said mockingly.

Serge looked at Lynx, hatred was visible in his features. "This ends now, Lynx."

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…I'm so mean and cruel… HAHAHAHAHA!!! Anyway, this'll probably be the last cliffhanger of the story, so… Ha! Anyway, I wanted to tell you that at the rate I have been writing lately, I probably won't finish the next chapter until, at least, Sunday. I'm going out of town. ;-) Sorry! Oh well, adds more… pizzazz to the cliffhanger. Makes the people more desperate for the next chapter and everything. Anyway, how'd you like it? Review and let me know!

--Ben


	26. The Fight for Freedom

Ha! I beat my proposed time for this chapter to be written! You got to love long boring days with nothing else to do… Anyway… And there, folks, is the chapter you've all been waiting for! No, it's not the final one… Okay, maybe all I have left to do is the Epilogue, but still… _Sigh_… This was a hard one for me to write. I wanted it to be totally perfect. The chapter didn't go at all like I planned… It's better! Read on!

Disclaimer: Nope. Not doing it. You can't ruin my attitude! _NO!_ …Fine! I don't own CC or any of its characters! I only own Ana… and Bob… and the story…

**Chapter 25: Fight for Freedom**

_FLASH!_ Lightning rained down on Serge seconds into the battle. Serge crashed to the ground. "How do _you_ like it, Serge?" _FWOOSH!_  Water exploded from Lynx's hands and pushed Serge closer and closer to the edge.

Janus joined the battle and shot a burst of fire at Lynx. Lynx just dispelled the attack with a thought. "Why, the great Magus. It's an honor to meet the creator of my _species_." Before Janus could reply, he was encased in ice. When Lynx turned back to Serge, he was no longer there . . .

"How about you?" Serge asked, almost casually. Lynx spun around. "You! How did you-?" _WHOOSH! _Lynx was suddenly blown backward by a great blast of wind. He crashed into the ground near the edge of the platform.

Lynx got up and brushed himself off. "That was a nice trick, Chrono Trigger, but it won't happen again." Immediately, Serge disappeared and reappeared behind Lynx. "You're right. Using Wind is just too nice. How about this?" _FWOOSH!_ Fire erupted from his hands. Lynx didn't have a chance to dispel it in time.

  


When Lynx landed, Serge was already standing beside him. In his hands was the Mastermune. "I said it earlier and I'll say it again. This ends now!" Serge drove the Mastermune into Lynx's chest. Blood surged from the wound and Lynx stopped breathing.

Serge smiled. _Easy. It was just easy._ His thoughts were interrupted by a scream behind him. _Kidd!_ Serge whirled around just in time to see Kidd be hit by another bolt of lightning. Lynx stood on the other side of the room, his hands outstretched. From them, lightning flew.

Serge looked back at the person he had killed and noticed that the body had disappeared. _A shadow!_ Yet another scream caused Serge to run toward his friends and, ultimately, Lynx.

Serge appeared behind Lynx, and, once again, drove the Mastermune forward. The weapon connected with a sickening sound and Lynx went limp. Before Serge could even form a thought, a jet of water sent Kidd flying across the platform. Then a burst of fire, engulfed Glenn, and he was left unconscious.

"Did you forget that I can make as many shadows as I want, Serge?" Asked a voice behind Serge. Serge spun around and faced nothing. "I can make myself invisible too, remember?" Serge spun around again, but there was still nothing. "Where are you, Lynx?" He yelled at the emptiness. "I'm everywhere, Serge. I'm FATE! The omnipotent, omniscient FATE!"

Lynx appeared next to Kidd, who was nearly unconscious. "You know, we never did settle things, did we? I think I'll just kill you now." He brought his scythe down toward Kidd, but white flames engulfed him just in time. "Can't figure out where I am, can you, Chrono Trigger?" The voice mocked.

Serge was growing frustrated. "Show yourself, Lynx!" The voice laughed, "No. I'm having fun just as I am."

Serge's frustration grew and the Mastermune flared brightly. "Can't take the heat, Serge?" A pillar of fire slammed into Serge and he was sent sprawling across the ground. But that didn't matter to him. Her had caught sight of where Lynx was . . .

A huge piece of ice connected with Lynx's body and he was sent to the floor. He was no longer invisible. Lynx groaned slightly and stood. Anger shone in his eyes. "Stupid boy. Do you think you can defeat me?" Lightning burst from his hands, but it was absorbed by the glowing Mastermune.

Lynx watched as the Mastermune glowed brighter and brighter, indicating that it was almost time . . .

Serge ran at Lynx, Mastermune in front of him. Lynx was barely able to bring his scythe up in time to block the attack. _FWOOSH!_ Before Serge could attack again, he was hit by a blast of water. He landed about thirty feet away from Lynx. _Now for the piece de resistence. _Lynx thought evilly.

_FWOOSH!_ Fire slammed into Kidd and she was sent flying off the edge of Chronopolis. Serge's eyes widened and his eyes turned green as he ran toward the edge. He jumped off and caught Kidd in mid-fall. Wind whipped around them and slowed their descent. He brought them down to the sandy beach gently and laid Kidd on it. "I'll be back soon, Kidd."

  


Lynx watched in surprise when Serge floated up and landed on the destroyed floor. Serge's eyes no longer glowed green, but she shined red. The Mastermune, which was glowing red also, confirmed Lynx suspicions. _It's time._

Serge felt Lynx clawing at his mind and he realized his mistake._ No, stop!_ He screamed at himself as the feeling of hatred that he felt toward Lynx was slowly being directed toward his friends. _NO!_ The mind-control continued and Serge fell more into its power.

Glenn groaned slightly and opened his eyes. He gasped when he saw Serge clawing at his head. Glenn shot up from his position of lying on the ground and grabbed out his Einlanzers.

Glenn looked for Janus and his heart when he saw that Janus was encased in a large block of ice.

Glenn ran over to Lucca, whom, he had learned, used fire magic. "Lucca, can you defrost Janus? We're going to need him." Lucca, who was looking at Serge in horror, nodded slowly. _FWOOSH!_ Fire melted away the ice that surrounded Janus.

Janus groaned slightly as the ice melted and he fell to the ground, barely conscious. He felt hands on his back and felt healing magic course through his body. He immediately felt energized and stood up. He was about to turn around and thank whoever had healed him, but he caught sight of Serge. _Oh no._ Was his only thought.

Serge smiled evilly. One thing was on his mind. _Death_.

Janus sighed sadly as Serge walked slowly towards the group. _This can't be happening. Kidd . . . I'm sorry._ He thought before a large spike of ice formed and was shot at Serge.

Serge watched as the ice flew toward him. He disappeared right before the weapon of death hit him, and reappeared behind Janus. "That was a bad idea." 

Janus spun around in surprise. He was only able to watch as the Mastermune flew toward him with blinding speed. Or not.

Lightning slammed into Serge and he flew to the side, his attack on Janus ruined. He stood up seconds later and looked for the nuisance. He spotted a red-haired man whose eyes glowed yellow. The man's name flashed in Serge's mind. _Crono._

Crono charged at Serge. His katana flew at Serge with blinding speed and Serge was barely able to bring the Mastermune up in time to block the attack. From there, Serge blocked another attack and then dodged the next. He kicked Crono hard in the stomach, and Crono doubled over in pain only to be kneed sharply in the face.

Serge watched as Crono's head snapped back exposing his neck. The Mastermune flew through the air ready to slice through anything in its path. Serge wasn't expected holy sword, Einlanzer, to stop him though . . .

  


Glenn winced at the sharp pain that ran up his arms when the Einlanzer slammed into the Mastermune, just barely keeping Serge from cutting open Crono's neck. Glenn looked up into Serge's blood-red eyes and grimaced. He couldn't even see a sliver of the old Serge in there anywhere.

Serge slammed the Mastermune into the Einlanzer in fury. _CLANG!_ "Serge! Snap out of it!" Ana screamed as Glenn nearly lost one of his Einlanzers because of the fury that Serge fought with.

As he fought, Glenn began to notice something different about the Einlanzers. They were _glowing_ just as the Mastermune had whenever Serge would get emotional. The glowing would flare every time they struck the glowing, _red_, blades of the Mastermune. Glenn figured that the glowing blades were giving him strength and power to contend with Serge and the Mastermune. Glenn also figured that was the only reason he still lived . . .

Serge gritted his teeth. Every time those weapons flared like that, he felt himself getting weaker. The weapons seemed to suck the very power from the Mastermune and in turn sucked the power from Serge. _CLANG!_

Serge nearly yelled out in pain because of the last clash, and Lynx knew it. He watched the entire fight from afar, and watched as the boy called Glenn was slowly gaining ground on the weakening Serge. _The Einlanzer is more powerful than the Masamune when it is being tainted with my power . . . I've got to find a way to get rid of Glenn before he ruins my plans!_ Lynx smiled evilly as he looked at another of Serge's group. _Perfect . . ._

Ana watched in terror as the two clashed. She saw her father's katana just a few feet away from her. _Glenn couldn't handle both of us, right?_ Ana's eyes widened when she realized what she had just thought. **_Serge_**_ couldn't handle both of us . . . That's wha_t _I meant._ All of a sudden, Ana wasn't too sure of herself.

Ana eyes went from the katana, to the fight, and back to the katana again. _I could end it so fast . . . He'd never see me coming . . ._ Ana paused, wondering why she was even thinking about these things. _No, Glenn can handle himself . . . right?_ Her attention was, once again, turned back to the katana. Her eyes hardened and she picked it up.

Marle watched her daughter closely. When Ana grabbed Crono's katana, she decided to voice her concerns. "Ana, what are you doing?" Ana turned back to her mother, "I'm going to help Glenn." Marle stood up, "No! Glenn can handle himself. I'm not risking you–." Ana had already started walking toward the fight.

_Stupid Mom. Even in the middle of a big battle, you still act like . . . well . . . a mom._ Ana thought to herself. _When I'm done with Glenn, I'll . . . Where did **that **come from?_ Ana was becoming concerned. She was beginning to think thoughts that weren't her own and it was scaring her. She could feel herself giving into _feelings_ that weren't her own. Feelings like hatred and anger¼ By the time she realized what was happening, it was too late¼

  


Glenn slammed the first Einlanzer down onto the Mastermune. A quick horizontal slice followed it. Serge was able to block both attacks, but just barely. Glenn did a quick _pincer_-like move with his swords. Serge spun the Mastermune around and knocked both of the swords away, but it was at a price. He felt his strength lessen even more. He tried to catch Glenn off guard with a jab with the Mastermune, but by this time, his movements were becoming sluggish, and Glenn easily sidestepped the attack.

_What's going on? Why do I feel so weak?_ Serge wondered. Glenn once again brought the Einlanzers down onto the Mastermune and Serge felt himself get even weaker. Serge's movements got clumsy and he nearly ended up losing his life because of it.

_CLASH!_ The Einlanzers crashed against the Mastermune and Serge lost his grip. Before he could reach down to grab the fallen weapon, he was hit by a burst of water that sent him sliding across the floor.

Unconsciously, Glenn raised one of his Einlanzers up in a vertical position in front of his face. It was the Dragonian sign of victory. But instead of feeling good about his victory, all color drained from his face as he saw a reflection off of the polished surface of the glowing sword¼

Glenn jumped to the side just in time to avoid the attack from behind. The katana crashed down on where Glenn had just been standing. Glenn watched in horror as Ana looked up at him, her eyes an eerie red¼

Janus jumped up, along with the rest of the group, and watched in horror as Ana charged at Glenn in fury. Janus wasted no time in running toward the two.

Glenn couldn't move as he watched Ana run at him, the katana raised above her head, ready to be brought down on Glenn's skull. "No¼ Ana! No!" He screamed. His yells were gone unnoticed as Ana began bringing the katana down with deadly speed.

Glenn couldn't bring himself to raise his swords to save his own life. He was just too stunned at the fact that Ana, _his_ Ana, was attacking him. Even though he knew _why_, he just couldn't do it. Come to find out, he wouldn't need to as a beam of darkness slammed into Ana's side, causing her to fly sideways and crash into the floor heavily.

Ana jumped up and ran at Glenn again, not deterred form her goal. _Destroying the nuisance_. But, once again, she was stopped as large arms wrapped around her and flung her away from Glenn. When Ana tried to stand, she found that she couldn't¼

Kidd groaned slightly. "Where am I?" She asked when she opened her eyes. She figured it out seconds later as the sound of waves crashing onto a beach and the cries of hungry seagulls filled her head. The form of Chronopolis filled her eyes and she shot up from her laying position.

  


Kidd stood up and looked around. She was right outside the door that led inside Chronopolis. A burst of lightning from above told her that the battle above still raged on. _I don't really want to try to work my way through Chronopolis again. At least, not alone._ She turned around and was surprised to find Leena running at her, weaponless. 

Kidd smiled and easily grabbed Leena's hand, as she swung it toward Kidd. Kidd through Leena into the outer metal wall of Chronopolis and immediately knocked her unconscious. "I've always wanted to do that." She said with a laugh. "Now. How else can I get up there?" She spotted a ladder that led all the way up near her. She grinned. "That was easy."

Glenn smiled slightly at Janus. "Thanks." He said quietly. Janus grunted, "Don't let your emotions get in the way of your fighting. The first lesson in fighting." Glenn smiled and nodded.

The entire time, Serge had been watching while trying to gain back his strength. _Don't let my__¼__ emotion get in the way of fighting?_ The Mastermune's red glow began to diminish. _Why was I even fighting them anyway? What was the point?_ He wondered.

Serge's red eyes began to dim and the eyes began turning back to the deep blue that they were known for. That is, until Kidd decided climb over the edge of the platform¼

Lynx was getting nervous now. He could feel his control over Serge lessening every second, and he was getting desperate. When he saw Kidd climb over the edge, he knew _exactly_ what to do¼

Kidd climbed up slowly. "Kidd!" She saw Serge approaching her. "Serge?" Her eyes shifted from the Serge who was coming towards her and the Serge who was just beginning to stand up from his spot on the ground.

She turned back to the first Serge, "How do I know you're not Lynx?" Her hands began to glow an eerie red just to prove her point. Serge smiled, "I figured you'd be able to recognize your own fiancée. You know, the guy who has saved you from dragons, werewolves, and FATE itself? The guy who used his newly-found wind magic and saved us _both_ at the End of Time?"

Kidd smirked, "Strike one, Lynx. That's the _Bend_ of Time." _FWOOSH!_ Flames exploded from her hands and rushed over Lynx. Little did she know that Lynx was no longer there¼

Serge watched as flames burst from the mystery girl's hands and collided with his look-alike. The girl's name rushed into Serge's head. _Kidd__¼_ Memories trickled into his head. When he first met her... Traveling with her¼ The memories came faster now. When they broke into Viper Manor... Saving her from the Hydra Poison... Fighting Lynx at Fort Dragonia... Then, the horrible memory at Hermit's Hideaway... The memories flowed even faster. Saving her at Chronopolis¼ Their first kiss after battling the Time Devourer¼ Being separated from her for two years¼ _I love you__¼_ Serge's eyes widened as he remembered everything. His eyes went from red to blue and the Mastermune went back to its white splendor. "Kidd!"

  


Lynx appeared behind Kidd, quickly grabbing the dagger from her belt. Kidd spun around at the feeling of her belt getting lighter. She found herself staring into the red eyes that belonged to Lynx's form of Serge.

Lynx smirked, "I told you we'd finish this¼" Before Kidd could react, he drove the dagger forward into her exposed stomach¼

Kidd felt nothing. At least, nothing compared to the last time she had been stabbed by Lynx. Then, she had felt disbelief, betrayal, and anger. Now¼ she just felt empty. There was no disbelief; She knew it was coming as soon as she had seen Lynx's red eyes. There was no betrayal; She knew that person was undoubtedly Lynx. Last time, although she had figured it out, she still had doubts. She felt no anger; Anger had been hard to come by ever since she fused with Schala.

So, not being taken over by emotions, she only saw one thing left to do. Using the last of her strength, she slammed into Lynx, driving them both over the edge of Chronopolis¼

The entire group watched frozen as Lynx and Kidd fell off the edge of Chronopolis. The entire group, but one¼ The one person, who they _didn't_ expect to react, did¼

Serge disappeared from his spot and reappeared at the edge of Chronopolis. He made a grab for Lynx's clothes in an effort to stop their fall. His hand didn't reach and the two fell over a hundred feet to the sandy beach below¼

Serge kneeled and looked down at the two faraway figures. He could almost see the blood soaking into the sand. He could almost see the waves washing over them, cleaning the wounds in the cruelest way. He heard a boot click on, the barely intact, floor of Chronopolis behind him. A hand rested on his shoulder. She gave her life to take him out. She died like she would have wanted." Serge stiffened and turned to face Janus. "She died like she would've wanted?!"

Serge turned around. _No . . . you can't be dead, Kidd. I **need** you! If only I could've been there... If only I could've stopped that dagger..._ Serge soon became aware of his surroundings changing. They were slowing, just as if he was stopping time. _What's going on?_ Serge wondered. Time came to a complete stop.

Serge took a tentative step as he looked at the others who had been caught up in time. That's when a single sound startled him. It was a tiny, almost indiscernible, whooshing sound. Serge's eyes widened at a single movement...

Serge watched as Janus began walking, _backwards_, ever so slowly. The whooshing sound grew louder and louder until it filled Serge's ears.

It didn't take long for Serge to realize exactly _what_ was happening. He ran back to the edge of Chronopolis and watched in wonder as the barely discernable figures of Kidd and Lynx slowly lifted off the ground below and floated back towards Serge.

He watched in a mix of horror and joy as Kidd and Lynx stood, once again, on Chronopolis. He watched as Lynx retracted the dagger from Kidd's stomach and the wound closed as if it had never been there before.

  


_FLASH! _Serge no longer stood by the edge of Chronopolis. He was standing in the same spot that he had been when he was wrestling with himself. Time was no longer moving backward, but it was moving in its painfully normal speed.

_FWOOSH!_ Serge watched as flames exploded from Kidd's hands and engulfed Lynx. To the normal bystander, it would have looked like Lynx had been incinerated. Only Serge knew the truth...

Lynx appeared behind Kidd and grabbed the dagger from her belt. Kidd, feeling the sudden weight change, spun around and looked into the deep red eyes of Lynx. "I told you we'd finish this..." Lynx drove the dagger forward, but it never met skin. No, the only skin that was met with a sharp object was Lynx's wrist as the Mastermune sliced the hand, holding the dagger, cleanly off.

Lynx roared in pain, but before he realized what exactly had happened, he felt a foot slam into his side, not only knocking his breath out of him, but also sending him sprawling.

Serge looked into Kidd's cerulean eyes, "Are you okay?" He asked. Kidd was dumbfounded. "I thought I was..." Serge hushed her. "Don't worry about it." He turned back to the fallen Lynx, who was still whining about his hand.

"Your reign of terror ends now, Lynx." Lynx stopped worrying about his hand and looked up at Serge who had suddenly appeared beside him. Serge was so calm, so sure of himself, that Lynx knew that he had no chance of controlling him again. _Unless..._ Before Lynx could finish that thought, Serge's foot slammed into his side, once again, and Lynx was sent rolling dangerously close to the edge.

Lynx looked up at Serge and his entire body changed. Lynx grew taller and his blue hair grew longer and even more unruly. Scars, that weren't there before, appeared. His face changed all together, but one could still see the resemblance between Serge and him. In fact, he looked a lot like an older version of Serge. Lynx's entire body changed from the body of Serge to the body of his father, Wazuki...

Serge couldn't move. He couldn't speak. He couldn't even form a full sentence in his mind. His mind could only think one thing at that time... _Dad._

"Son. You've freed me from that monster's grasp. Thank you." Wazuki said quietly. Serge began shaking. "D–Dad?" Wazuki tried to stand, but found that Serge had broken a few ribs when kicking him. "Help me up, Serge." Serge didn't move. "Dad, is that really you?" Wazuki frowned, "Of course it's me. Can't you see?"

Kidd watched in horror as Serge and... well... _Serge_ embraced. She didn't understand. _Why would Serge hug Lynx?_ That's when she heard Serge's cries. "I never thought I'd see you again, Dad!" Kidd's eyes widened. "Serge, no! It's a trick! It's still Lynx!"

Serge turned to look at Kidd. _Still… Lynx?_ Serge didn't even see the fist flying at his face…

Serge stumbled back, partly in shock and partly in pain, after Wazuki's fist collided with his jaw. He watched as Wazuki, whom he knew now to be Lynx, ran at him. It was a suicide really.

Bright, white flames engulfed Wazuki. When the fire cleared, FATE was no more…

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

…That's it. That's… that's all, folks… *Breaks down in tears* Why?! Why does it have to end _now_?! _Why?!?!_… Oh well, now to write the Epilogue… maybe later. Right now, I got an emergency, before school starts, three-day vacation! _YES!_ Good thing I'm hyper about the vacation or I might actually be sad! But… No time for sad today! I can be sad when I get _back_! Anyway, how'd you like it? Good? Bad? _Ugly_? Tell me! I want to get up to 100 reviews and it's your job to make it happen! So, I'm asking you, the reader, to repay me for writing this story… REVIEW! _PLEASE_! REVIEW AND BRING THE REVIEW COUNT TO 100!

--Ben


	27. Epilogue

…It's… over…? Duuuuuuude… 

For the final time! I don't own Chrono Cross or any of its character. Nor do I own Chrono Trigger! I _do_ own Ana, Bob, and the story! …And half of the relationships in this story (Haha). If I find out that stole something from this now finished story (other than the relationships of course) I will… Well, I'll do something! So _HA_!

Epilogue 

          _CLINK! CLINK! CLINK!_ A hammer crashed into a spike over and over again. The spike was being held against a large stone that looked vaguely like a tombstone.

          A gloved hand drove the hammer forward again, and then Serge stood up, admiring his work.

**Marge**

**_A great mother and friend._**

**_She will not be forgotten._**

**A.D. 975-1022**

          It may not have been the most profound words that he could have put on the small grave, but they didn't need to be. It explained Serge's feelings and that was all that was needed.

          Serge looked at the two graves for a long time. One was his mother's, and the other, his father's. They were placed side-by-side, showing that not even death could separate the two.

          Serge felt a hand be placed, gently, on his shoulder. Serge reached up and put his own hand over the first. "You miss them, don't you?" Kidd asked. Serge sighed, "Yeah, but…" Serge heard a tiny sound. So quiet that Serge barely even heard it.

          It was a voice. A familiar one at that. "I'm proud of you, son. I will _always_ be proud." Serge looked at Wazuki's grave in confusion for a second and smiled. _Just my mind playing tricks on me… I knew I shouldn't have let Glenn talk me into eating that Squid Pasta._ He thought.

          "But what, Serge?" Serge smiled as the answer formed in his head. "But they will always be here… with me." Kidd smiled and wrapped her arms around Serge. "Just like me, mate. Just like me…"

          They stood there for many minutes, enjoying the blessed silence. "Come on, mate! We got a wedding to prepare for!" Kidd said with glee, breaking the silence. Serge smiled and turned around to face his fiancée. They embraced once more and then walked out of the small graveyard…

          The wedding wasn't that big, but in Kidd's eyes, it was beautiful. Flowers that could only come from the tropical village were everywhere. In the ground, on the chairs, even in Kidd's hair, which was let down.

Kidd was wearing a bright, white dress. In her hair was a light blue colored tiara that Melchior had insisted on putting there. She _was_ the princess of Zeal, after all. She had even wiped off the white makeup that always seemed to be on her cheeks. There was but one thing that _hadn't_ been changed. She still wore her brown boots. She had refused to change into the white slippers that Marle had picked out, claiming that they were too girlish to wear; Even at her own wedding. Luckily, her dress covered the boots fairly well.

Serge… well… Serge hadn't changed much. He had taken the red bandana off his head and gotten a haircut. His hair was currently combed back, although it looked like it could spring forward again at any time. He had changed his shorts in for longer, black pants. He had taken his battle-worn gloves off too. That was about it for the changes though.

Glenn was dressed in a dragoon dress uniform. Ana, who sat next to him, was dressed in clothes similar to Kidd's. She was dressed in that for a reason though. Kidd wasn't the only one having a wedding that night…

There was a feast after the double wedding, honoring the saviors of Arni. Most of the people of Arni had heard the story of how Serge and his friends managed to save the kidnapped villagers. That was all they heard though. They didn't know any details like _who_ they had been saved from or _how_ they were saved.

After the feast, Kidd practically tore the dress off, revealing her standard clothes, as they walked towards Opassa Beach. "_Finally!_ I couldn't breathe in that piece of…" She trailed off as her eyes met Serge's. "Well… I guess it wasn't _so_ bad… I mean… It was _our_ wedding, after all." Serge smiled and embraced his new wife. The whole time he was thinking about how happy he was despite the hardships he had gone through in the last month or so. "Come on, let's go join the others." Serge said, indicating the bonfire that was going on at the beach at that very moment.

Twelve people sat and stood around the small fire. They were Serge, Kidd, Glenn, Ana (who had decided to take her wedding dress off too), Janus, Harle, Karsh, Leena, Crono, Marle, Lucca, and Melchior.

"So, Serge. How… how do you know that Lynx is truly gone? I mean, he could have just disappeared again." Glenn asked. It was the question had been eating away at everybody since the battle. Serge sighed, "I know he's gone. Trust me." _I watched him die. I saw his body disintegrate into nothingness._ Serge didn't say the last part though. Glenn accepted the answer, "Fair enough."

"So, Crono, Marle, Lucca. What are you going to do now? Are you going to stay here, in El Nido?" Crono smiled, "Actually… I am planning on rebuilding Guardia." Serge nearly swallowed a lung. "_What?!_ Rebuild… Guardia? How are you going to do that?" Crono smiled slyly, "Right under Porre's nose. It'll take years to do, but Dario has already promised anything and everything that we need." Serge's shock still hadn't worn off, "But… if Porre finds out, it could start a war!" Crono sighed, "That why we have to do it in secret. We can't let them know about our plans until we are strong enough to demand independence. If it starts a war, so be it. Dario promised to help us, if it is needed."

It was a long time before anyone spoke again. When Serge _did_ speak up again, it wasn't what anyone would have suspected. "So… Janus. Harle. Are there any… _plans_ for you two in the future?" Janus' eyes widened for a second and then he snorted angrily. Harle turned away, trying to conceal a deep blush. Every started laughing at the fact that she _couldn't_ conceal it, causing her blush to deepen even further…

The End… 

In the words of Porky the Pig… "That's all, folks!" Oh… wait… I put that in my last chapter, didn't I? Oh well! Who cares? The thing that everybody cares about is the fact that the story is finished… I have to mourn over the fact that it is over… Give me a second… Ok! I'm done! Now… I, and the rest of you wonderful readers, can be happy that I actually _did_ finish it, instead of abandoning it like so many other writers before me!

This is so cool! I got 101 reviews! _YES_! Of course, one was technically… a _flame_ (everybody gasp and wag their fingers, condescendingly, at Janus)… But, it's still 101 reviews! Okay, let's go for 150! … Okay, maybe not, but I can wish, can't I? (BTW, Bao Blossom, congrats on being the 100th reviewer!)

Now for the last of the stupid questions… That's right! I still have questions!

_Will Crono be able to rebuild Guardia?_

_Whatever happened to the leftover cloned Dragonians?_

**_Do_**_ Harle and Janus have any plans for the future?_

Find out next time on… okay, there _may_ not be a next time. I still haven't decided whether I want to make a sequel. I mean, I loved writing this, and I'd love writing a sequel. But, when you are living in the Last Days, when Christ could come back at any moment, and when Christians should be evangelizing the planet, why? Well, if you see my name come up in the CC section again, you know what my decision was. If you don't, well… check the Harvest Moon, section. I _do_ have a story that I'm writing on that subject. I haven't put it up on FF.Net yet, but now that Radical Dreamer is finished, I'll do it soon. Be warned though, it's original. It's risky. It's downright daring. A lot of people will think it was stupid of me to take such a risk. A risk where I can bet everything that I'll get more flames than good reviews. _I_ am writing the first _ever_, _Christian_ Harvest Moon story! I told it was original, risky, daring, but I_ tell you one thing; it is __not stupid. It's a leap of faith like I've never taken before, and whoo! I'm gonna love it!_

Anyway, if you choose to read my _next story, do so. If not, well… that's your choice._

--Ben


	28. Final Author's Notes

The Final Author's Note… Maybe

Ahh… Tis _truly_ the end. I guess I should do my credits.

I want to thank RadicalDreamer02 for encouragement while I wrote.

I want to thank Bao Blossom for being my 100th reviewer. ;-)

I want to thank Jedijessie just because of the Smile, God loves you thing. :-D

I want to thank RadicalDreamer02 again for wishing me a happy birthday! The same goes for tsugunai! Thanks!

And finally, I want to thank Jesus Christ. He died for me (and for all of you too!) just so I could hang out with him in heaven. He rules! … Literally… Anyway, I also want to thank Him for giving me the writing skills that enabled me to write this story that all of you seem to like.

Um… I'm sorry if I missed anyone that I shouldn't have missed. These are just the people that are coming to mind at the moment. Oh… wait… I want to thank Square for making Chrono Cross and Chrono Trigger! There! I think I'm done! Oh yeah, I also want to thank Sony and Nintendo for publishing the games too!

Okay, I wanted to say that I loved writing this story, and I _am_ sad that it's over. But… I'm glad in a way too. Now I get to devote even _more_ of my time to doing stuff that is actually _important_ in the long run. Like telling everybody of the planet's imminent doom… Okay, that makes me sound like a fanatic… Oh well! It's a good thing I don't mind being called that! ;-P

Anyway… Now for finishing words… God bless you all. Come to my Father's house. Oh yeah, Jesus loves you all, and he's willing to accept you as his friend and child, no matter _what_ you've done before. All you have to do is call on Him, confess our sins, and _mean_ it. He will come faster than I can say "Bob". Trust me on it!

For the last time… --Ben

I GOT MY NEW HARVEST MOON STORY UP!!! It's Harvest Moon: Revival in Flowerbud! Go read it, it's worth your time!


	29. Notice

A Notice

First of all, if anyone read that 'Credits' chapter, I'm sorry! That goes to another story!

Anyway, just so y'all know, the sequel's to THIS STORY is up (Chrono Cross: Lost Dreamer). I admit, I've only got the prologue and first chapter up but the last few weeks have been really busy for me!

Anyway, my Christian Harvest Moon story has been finished too! Now all I have to do is write the sequel to THAT!  
Ahem… anyway, go read my stories and pray that they get updated soon!


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